Akron Tolyatti Form and Lineup
Akron Tolyatti have still not won since the league resumed: two draws and five defeats. However, it is worth noting that in this run the hosts have often faced teams from the top eight. Only once in this spell did Tedeev's team leave the pitch without scoring, so they definitely should not be written off.
Key Akron Tolyatti numbers:
Akron Tolyatti are 14th for possession (43.9%).
Akron Tolyatti are ninth for expected goals (30.7) and shots on target (3.8).
Akron Tolyatti are second for penalties won (nine).
Potential Akron Tolyatti Lineup (4-3-3): Vitaly Gudiev — Dmitry Pestryakov, Ionut Nedelcearu, Rodrigo Escoval, Roberto Fernandez — Alexa Djurasovic, Maksim Kuzmin, Stefan Loncar — Benshimol, Artem Dzyuba, Maksim Boldyrev
Out of squad: Marat Bokoev (suspension)
Dynamo Makhachkala Form and Lineup
Dynamo Makhachkala have now gone four rounds without a win: two draws and two defeats. However, it should be noted that in this spell the team have taken points off top sides Lokomotiv Moscow (1:1) and Baltika Kaliningrad (2:2). Agalarov has been particularly impressive in this period, scoring three times.
Key Dynamo Makhachkala numbers:
Dynamo Makhachkala are ninth for possession (46.9%).
The visitors have the worst average number of shots on target (2.7).
Dynamo Makhachkala are fifth for big chances missed (31).
Potential Dynamo Makhachkala Lineup (4-5-1): David Volk — Andres Alarcon, Ilyas Akhmedov, Jemal Tabidze, Temirkan Sundukov — Ussem Mrezigu, Mehdi Mubarak, Nikita Glushkov, Mohammad Hosseinnejad, Kirill Zinovich — Gamid Agalarov
Out of squad: Idar Shumakhov (injury), Mohammed Azzi, Soslan Kagermazov (all suspended)
Prediction for Akron Tolyatti vs Dynamo Makhachkala on 23 April
Bookmakers do not see a clear favourite, referring to the first-round meeting, which ended in a draw (1:1). Apparently, they have completely forgotten about the visitors' personnel losses, which Akron Tolyatti simply must exploit.
Confident Bet for the Match
As the home side Akron Tolyatti will set the tone in this match, although it should be understood that they are comfortable with two different scenarios. In the first, they will give the ball to the opposition and look to hit them on the counterattack, sending high balls towards Artem Dzyuba. The experienced forward is the team's best player for chances created (seven) and finds free spaces behind him brilliantly. In the second scenario, the focus will be on the flanks. Fleet-footed wingers Boldyrev and Benshimol are not afraid to drive into the penalty area (between them they have already won seven penalties).
This is especially relevant now, as Dynamo Makhachkala have lost two first-choice defenders at once. The absence of Kagermazov will be felt the most, as he is the team's best player for interceptions (2.2) and second-best for tackles (2.4). It is also worth noting that on average he won 61.4% of his aerial duels, so he could at least have made life a bit harder for Dzyuba. Now the visitors have practically no chance of keeping a clean sheet.
Prediction: Akron Tolyatti to win
Additional Bet for the Match
For fans of deeper statistics, we would recommend looking at a bet on the total number of corners. Matches involving Akron Tolyatti average 8.9 corners, while Dynamo Makhachkala games average as many as 9.4. Against this background, the slightly low line looks like a real gift.
Prediction: Over 8.5 corners
