Volgograd vs Zenit St. Petersburg Soccer Betting Tips
Do the lions put the climber in their place?
Betting Tips: Under 2.5 Goals
Odds: 1.9
In 2002 the Russian Premier League was introduced, in which Zenit St. Petersburg only made the sixth national championship perfect with a 15-point lead at the end of July. This means that the Löwen (Russian Lvy), who even managed to get the double last season, is now the record champions together with CSKA Moscow.
At the start of the 2020/21 season, the champions will be guests at the reigning second division champions and promoted Rotor Volgograd. Against this background, it is not surprising that in the run-up to the game between Volgograd and Zenit St. Petersburg, the odds in the direction of Sergey Semak’s team, as the odds comparison of the betting base shows.
After all, Zenit only lost two of 30 league games at the national level in the 2019/20 season and only conceded 18 goals. Because the squad could be strengthened again, nothing should burn with the promoted team, although the prediction at Volgograd against Zenit St. Petersburg must take into account that Rotor also has its strengths on the defensive.
We, therefore, believe that in the run-up to the season opener, when the teams never know 100% where they stand, it is more sustainable to play a goal bet. We, therefore, recommend “Under 2.5 goals” for Volgograd against Zenit St. Petersburg.
Volgograd – Statistics & Current Form
After 16 years of abstinence, Rotor Volgograd is now rising from the long years of immersion. In 2004, the club, which celebrated two runners-up championships in the 1990s, had its license withdrawn. Now the traditional club is returning to the top national league as second division champions after the season has ended.
Under the Belarusian coach Aleksandr Khatskevich, who only took over the coaching post in southern Russia at the end of 2019, the big hopes on the transfer market have so far been absent. Rotor only strengthened himself with free transfer players and loan players.
The fight against relegation begins
Against this background, Rotor Volgograd is economically serious and does not have to fear any further problems with the licenses. The squad doesn’t look competitive at the moment.
The cornerstones of the promotion team could be kept, which could celebrate with only 21 goals conceded from the 27 games in the second-highest Russian league after the championship and promotion at the green table. Without noticeable reinforcements, however, a tough battle against relegation begins for Rotor.
Defensively oriented
The Khatskevich squad has nothing to lose against the reigning national champions in the first home game of the season. Nobody should expect a point win.
Because in the promotion season with “only” 41 goals this season practically all victories led to the stable defensive, we expect a very defensive climber at the start of the Premier League, who should have a hard time defeating the reigning double winner over 90 minutes know to hold.
The probable lineup of Volgograd:
Dovbnya – Kozhemyakin – Piskunov – Nikolayev – Gogoua – Stepanov – Kipiani – Aleynik – Ananidze – Serchenkov – Mikeltadze
Last matches from Volgograd:
Club friendship games
08/02 2020 CSKA Moscow 0 – 0 FC Rotor Volgograd
07/27 2020 FC Rotor Volgograd 1 – 0 Dinamo Stavropol
National Football League
03/15 2020 Yaroslavl 0 – 1 FC Rotor Volgograd
03/09 2020 FC Rotor Volgograd 1 – 1 Neftekhimik
11/23 2019 FC Rotor Volgograd 2 – 0 Tom Tomsk
Zenit St. Petersburg – Statistics & current form
The Russian flagship club Zenit St. Petersburg reached two milestones in 2020 that the club had never before achieved in history. First of all, the Lions celebrated a successful title defense of their championship, which they won in 2019, for the first time and are now the record champions of the Premier League together with CSKA Moscow.
Besides, there is the cup win against FK Chimki, in which the blue-white-light blue celebrated the first double in the club’s history – even if the original trophy did not make it into the clubhouse later. Former captain Branislav Ivanovic, the cup fell while cheering, which caused a lot of media attention.
Dejan Lovren is the Lions’ next transfer coup
With the first double in their pockets, Sergey Semak’s men are of course going into the 2020/21 season as the hunted, in which the goal is, of course, a title hat-trick. For that to work, Zenit has already hit the transfer market and signed Dejan Lovren from Liverpool FC.
More top names are currently still a long way off and there could well be one or the other well-known finish. So far, however, the Lions have been able to keep their successful troop around superstars such as Malcom, Wilmar Barrios, Artem Dzyuba, or Sardar Azmoun together.
Only 18 league goals conceded in the preseason
The key to success should again be the defensive, which around the former Hamburg-based Douglas Santos only conceded 18 goals in the league in the preseason. This is one of the reasons why there were only two defeats in the end.
One of the best defensives in the second division against the best defensive in the country by far – that reinforces a tip on “Under 2.5 goals” at Volgograd against Zenit St. Petersburg, especially since the promoted team also held the goalless draw against CSKA Moscow in the friendly could. For Zenit, of course, only the three points count at the beginning.
The probable lineup of Zenit St. Petersburg:
Kerzhakov – Santos – Lovren – Rakitskiy – Karavaev – Barios – Kuzyaev – Ozdoev – Driussi – Malcom – Dzyuba
Last matches from Zenit St. Petersburg:
Super cup
08/07 2020 Zenit St. Petersburg 2 – 1 Lokomotiv Moscow
Cup
07/25 2020 Zenit St. Petersburg 1 – 0 Khimki
Premier League
07/22 2020 FK Rostov 1 – 2 Zenit St. Petersburg
Cup
07/19 2020 Zenit St. Petersburg 2 – 1 Spartak Moscow
Premier League
07/15 2020 Zenit St. Petersburg 4 – 1 FK Orenburg
Volgograd vs Zenit St. Petersburg – Betting odds comparison – Russia Premier League
Betting Tips: Volgograd
Odds: 9
Betting Tips: Draw
Odds: 5
Betting Tips: Zenit St. Petersburg
Odds: 1.33
Volgograd vs Zenit St. Petersburg Direct comparison
Head to head: 17 – 8 – 15
The “head to head” comparison is made by Rotor Volgograd, but it is not meaningful because there has been no competitive game between the two teams since November 12, 2004. By the way, Zenit also won this last duel in the Volgograd Arena 5-2 away.
Volgograd vs Zenit St. Petersburg Soccer Betting Tips
At Volgograd against Zenit St. Petersburg, the prediction is influenced by the fact that the newly-promoted team goes into the match as a blatant underdog, while Zenit wants to live up to its role as a favorite and score the first three points.
A point gain for the defensively strong climber can only lead through disciplined defense work.
Key facts – Volgograd vs Zenit St. Petersburg tips
After being promoted to the green table, Volgograd returns to the first division after 16 years
St. Petersburg celebrated the first double in the club’s history in July
St. Petersburg lost only two league games with 18 goals conceded in 2019/20
So we expect a possibly tough game in which Volgograd against Zenit St. Petersburg the tip “Under 2.5 goals” brings a lot of value.
