Zenit – CSKA

The meeting between Zenit and CSKA will probably be held in a productive manner

Zenit St. Petersburg, winners of the last six Russian championships, started the season as favourites in both national tournaments. Four rounds before the finish of the Premier League, the club is not doing well in winning gold medals. At the same time, in the Russian Cup the Blue-Belo-Blues have never let their dominance be in doubt, having reached the final. The first clash with CSKA will take place in St. Petersburg, allowing the home team to prepare in peace and quiet for Pari NN on Saturday in the championship. CSKA will arrive in St. Petersburg in a good mood. "The Army men secured a derby victory over Spartak last weekend and secured a contender's position in the Top 3. Nevertheless, the Russian Cup is the priority for CSKA, as the Premier League title is not on the horizon for them in practice. This is evidenced by the seven points behind leading Krasnodar. It is probably possible to sit back in defence against the current Zenit. However, it is unlikely that the Moscow team will count only on the defence. Bookmakers have identified the home team as the favourites for the upcoming game, offering odds of 1.71 on their victory. Last season, Zenit won the Russian championship by scoring a goal 15 minutes before the end of the match with Rostov in the last round. In the current season, the situation in the Premier League for the Blue and White Blues looks even tougher. Four rounds before the finish, the St. Petersburg team is four points behind Krasnodar. The National Cup could be a nice compensation for Zenit's players in the event of their first league title loss in seven seasons. Since making the playoffs, Zenit have been inimitable here. In the quarter-finals and semi-finals, the St. Petersburg team beat Akhmat and Rostov four times. CSKA have picked up remarkable form in 2025. "Army men" last defeat was in the second half of November last year - five months ago. During this fine period of play there was also a championship game against Zenit in St Petersburg. The teams were not particularly persistent and finished it with a 0-0 scoreline. It is hard to believe that two clubs with an excellent attack will finish the second consecutive clash without goals.