Read our prediction for Zenit vs Khimki below. This preview was written by a sport journalist who is specialised in betting tips and predictions. Use our betting tips for the match between Zenit vs Khimki and you can increase your winnings!
Zenit vs Khimki Prediction & Betting tips
The season in the Russian Premier League was brought to a regular end after a break. Zenit St. Petersburg has confidently secured the championship and now has the opportunity to win the Russian double for the second time since 2010. The last hurdle in the cup final is the previous second division FC Khimki.
At this point we don’t need to say a lot about the role of favorites. The underdog, who was lucky enough to be in second place at the end of the second Russian league and thus return to the House of Lords, was given little chance of winning the title by the bookmakers tested at the betting base.
In addition to the supposed class difference, Zenit plays into the cards that Sergey Semak’s team is in the juice. The championship ended during the week. The second division, however, had to prepare for this cup final with friendly matches. Therefore, between Khimki and Zenit St. Petersburg, the forecast must surely be a victory for the master.
Overall, the odds comparison of the betting base even suggests that it will be a very clear match. But maybe it is one of those cup games that will be remembered for a long time because David is fighting Goliath. Nevertheless, our tendency between Khimki and Zenit St. Petersburg is clearly a tip for the team from the Tsar City.
Zenit St. Petersburg:
Zenit St. Petersburg is the over-team of Russian football this season. In the championship, Sergey Semak’s team scored 72 points from 30 games. This is the second best yield that a Russian master has ever had. In addition, the team from the tsar city provides the best defense and the best attack of the Premier League.
Throughout the season, Zenit lost only two games nationally. Sergey Semak’s side have now been unbeaten for 15 competitive matches. This means that Zenit has not yet lost this calendar year. It is therefore clear that between Khimki and Zenit St. Petersburg the forecast of the best bookmakers goes in the direction of the master.
In the away game in Rostov, Sergey Semak could afford to spare his entire line-up, but it was enough for a 2-1 win in fifth place in the table. Emiliano Rugani and substitute Serdar Azmoun turned 0-1 in the final stages to victory.
On Saturday Zenit will start with completely fresh staff. Except for the injured keeper Andrey Lunev, all players are available. In the Russian media, it is expected that Sergey Semak will send the victorious team from the cup semi-final against Spartak Moscow onto the pitch.
Khimki:
This unusual season is arguably the most exciting season in the history of FC Khimki. The team from Moscow Oblast already played in the first Russian league between 2007 and 2009, but in addition to the current promotion, the first entry into the cup final is the highlight of the club’s history.
Another victory could be achieved with a win, namely the qualification for the European Cup. Khimki has shown himself three times this season in the Cup as a stumbling block for first division clubs and, alongside Rubin Kazan, Ural Ekaterinburg and FK Orenburg have been thrown out of the competition.
However, these are teams that can all be found in the lower half of the Premier League table and are therefore not on a par with the champions. Even if you see the red and black as a cup fright, in the duel between Khimki and Zenit St. Petersburg, the odds of a victory of the outsider are hardly associated with chances.
Khimki has been back in training since mid-June and has only played the semi-final in the cup as a competitive game. However, it was won 3-1 in Ekaterinburg, of all places in the stadium where the cup final will be played on Saturday. Evgeny Gapon, Aleksandr Troshechkin and Artem Polyarus made the preliminary decision with a 3-0 halftime score.
Zenit vs Khimki head to head matches
17.07.11 CUP Khimki Zenit 2 : 3
30.08.09 PL Khimki Zenit 0 : 4
25.04.09 PL Zenit Khimki 4 : 2
01.11.08 PL Zenit Khimki 1 : 0
13.07.08 PL Khimki Zenit 1 : 4