Lokomotiv Moscow vs. Zenit St. Petersburg 8/30/20 Premier League Soccer Pick, Odds, and Prediction

Lokomotiv Moscow is welcoming Zenit St. Petersburg to RZD Arena in a derby match of round 6 in the Russian Premier League.

Lokomotiv has started the season well, with 2 wins and a draw, but now they are on a 2-game losing streak. During this stretch, Lokomotiv has scored 3 goals, while conceding 5 goals. With 7 points, 7 scored goals, and 6 conceded goals, Lokomotiv is in 7th place in the standings. In their latest Premier League game against Akhmat Grozny at home, Lokomotiv has had 62% of ball possession, 5 shots on goal, 3 corner kicks, and solid 83% of the correct passes. Lokomotiv was losing 0-2 at the half time, but they reduced that lead to half in the 48th minute from a penalty kick. In the 58th minute, Lokomotiv has conceded another goal, and they were now 1-3 behind. In the 77th minute, Lokomotiv has scored a goal for 2-3, but they couldn’t tie the game, and Lokomotiv has lost this match 2-3. Miranchuk is Lokomotiv’s top goalscorer with only 2 goals this season. Zhivoglyadov and Rybchinskiy both have 2 assists. Rotenberg, Djordjevic, Miranchuk, Zhivoglyadov, and Barinov are all injured in Lokomotiv. All of these injuries took a toll on Lokomotiv’s game, and it’s going to be a while before they get back into good form, but there is enough time for them to turn things around.

Zenit was outstanding in the first 4 games of the season where they scored 10 goals while conceding only 2 goals, but unfortunately for them, Zenit has lost their latest Premier League game against Dynamo Moscow. Zenit was the dominant team in this match with 64% of ball possession, 4 shots on goal, 11 corner kicks, 10 shots inside the box, and 84% of the correct passes. Zenit conceded a goal in the 40th minute, and they had plenty of chances to tie the result, but Zenit wasn’t focused on the attacking end, and they ended up losing this match 1-0. Despite this loss, Zenit is still at the top of the standings with 12 points, 10 scored goals, and 3 conceded goals. Azmoun is the leading goalscorer for Zenit with 4 goals, while Karavaev added 2 assists. Zenit is the best team in Russia, and I think it’s not even close, but the season is long, and Zenit is playing in the Champions League as well. This match against Lokomotiv will be Zenit’s third derby since the start of the season, which means that the schedule is getting easier for Zenit after this. I think Zenit is the main favorite for the title for the second season in a row, and they have the quality to do so.

When playing at home, Lokomotiv has not lost to Zenit in their last 3 games. Under normal circumstances, I think Lokomotiv would have had a big chance of winning this game, but with all the injuries in their roster, I’m giving the advantage to Zenit in this match.