Akhmat Grozny vs Zenit St. Petersburg
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Today’s featured game is the Russian Premier League encounter between Akhmat Grozny and Zenit St. Petersburg.
I appreciate that Zenit St. Petersburg have now won the Russian Premier League and thus aren’t that arsed about matches. I still think that Semak is the kind of manager to keep them competitive though, and even if they’re not all that focused on actually winning.
All I’ve seen from Zenit St. Petersburg since they returned from the Covid-19 break is casual defending and lethal attacking. They still beat PFC Sochi last time out, even when they didn’t need to, and I suspect a similar outcome will take place tonight. I do think that they need some kind of long-term solution at the back with the Mammana situation – he’s either staying and getting fit, or he’s never going to be fit and needs to be cut loose, but this uncertainty cannot continue. Until it is sorted, I fear we’ll see Zenit St. Petersburg concede goals too easily.
It’s going to take a special team or a special display for an opponent to outscore this Zenit St. Petersburg side though, especially as they now know that they’ve already won the title so can afford to wait for teams to come at them, for a change. Either way, Dzyuba is still going to be a nightmare to handle in the air, and tricky fuckers like Malcom and especially Azmoun are going to cause problems. Then factor in Zhirkov, Erokhin, Sutormin, Ozdoev etc. – you’ve got goals in there. This is a team that was assembled in order to be able to win different types of games, and even though their motivation for winning may have dipped, their appetite for scoring goals has not. I think they’ll make tonight’s trip to Grozny – and every other game they play in this season – entertaining at the very least.
Helpfully, Akhmat Grozny are the latest Russian team to stay playing more open and attacking football, following in the footsteps of FK Krasnodar, Zenit St. Petersburg, and CSKA Moscow, to name but a few. Shalimov was an attacking player in his day so it cannot be considered a surprise that he wants his team to be entertaining too. Defensively speaking, this team is a joke. They don’t try hard to defend well anyway, but absentees, lack of quality etc. have all played their part in Akhmat Grozny’s lack of a clean sheet since November 2019.
Their attack, though? Very good. What they do is deploy as many skilful flair players as possible, and score from the opportunities that they create. None of their squad are particularly good at finishing, for clarity. However, they all get about in a very fluid fashion, which makes things easier for them to bamboozle their opponents. Seasoned pros like Roshi and Glushakov have capitalised upon that the most but Ivanov, Berisha, Ponce, Vizeu etc. all contribute significantly. They’re going to put Zenit St. Petersburg’s defence through the wringer tonight though, I’m sure of that. I doubt they’ll get what they want and need from the game, given their relegation battle, but I’m sure they’ll give it their best, and that’s all my tip requires them to do.
I’m expecting entertainment here, guys and girls, and by proxy, goals.
Verdict: Over 2.5 goals at 19/20.
Saturday’s Thoughts
As ever, if there are any explanations required then please feel free to post a comment! For the remainder of my thoughts on today’s games, see below, although I feel compelled to write that the below are not necessarily my tips but merely my thoughts. For confidence ratings, you’ll need to go to the members section here.
Austrian Bundesliga:
Austria Vienna vs Hartberg
Bulgarian A PFG:
Cherno More Varna vs Botev Plovdiv
Croatian Prva Liga:
Inter Zapresic vs Rijeka
NK Osijek vs Istra 1961
Danish Superligaen:
Randers vs OB
English Premier League:
Norwich City vs West Ham United
Watford vs Newcastle United
Liverpool vs Burnley
Sheffield United vs Chelsea
Brighton & Hove Albion vs Manchester City
Estonian Meistriliiga:
Tulevik vs Trans Narva
Flora Tallinn vs Flora Paide
Kuressaare vs Tammeka
Finnish Veikkausliiga:
Inter Turku vs Ilves
Finnish Ykkonen:
KTP vs MuSa
VPS vs MyPa
AC Oulu vs SJK-Akatemia
Kajaani vs Gnistan
KPV vs Ekenas IF
German Bundesliga 2 Promotion/Relegation Play-Off:
Ingolstadt vs Nurnberg
Italian Serie A:
SS Lazio vs Sassuolo
Brescia vs AS Roma
Juventus vs Atalanta Bergamo
Lithuanian A Lyga:
Kauno Zalgiris vs Banga Gargzdai
Panevezys vs Riteriai
Norwegian Eliteserien:
Haugesund vs Molde FK
Rosenborg BK vs Stromsgodset
Portuguese Liga 1:
Belenenses vs Moreirense
Russian Premier League:
Arsenal Tula vs Tambov
Akhmat Grozny vs Zenit St. Petersburg
PFC Sochi vs Spartak Moscow
Spanish Primera Liga:
CA Osasuna vs Celta de Vigo
Real Valladolid vs Barcelona CF
Atletico Madrid vs Real Betis Balompie
Swedish Allsvenskan:
Hammarby vs Sirius
Falkenberg vs Ostersunds FK
Swiss Super League:
FC Zurich vs FC Sion
FC Basel vs Young Boys Bern
Swiss Challenge League:
Chiasso vs SC Kriens
Aarau vs Winterthur
Turkish Super Lig:
Fenerbahce vs Sivasspor
Goztepe vs Genclerbirligi
Enjoy your free betting tips!