The Matchday 28 clash in the Russian Premier League between Fakel and Lokomotiv will take place on May 11 at the Fakel Stadium in Voronezh. Fakel vs. Lokomotiv: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Fakel
In the previous round, Igor Shalimov's side managed to hold Spartak to a goalless draw at home. However, Fakel extended their winless streak in the league to 15 matches (6 draws, 9 losses). Moreover, the club has scored only one goal in their last 11 Premier League matches. Voronezh is the least productive team in the current RPL season with just 12 goals. Fakel sits at the bottom of the table with 16 points and will be relegated to the First Division if they lose.
- The club has not won in their last ten home games in the RPL (7 draws, 3 losses).
- The team has failed to score in their last five home league matches.
- Voronezh has conceded exactly one or two goals in 6 of their last 8 home Premier League games.
Predicted lineup for Fakel (4-4-2)
Vitaly Gudiev – Igor Yurganov, Sergey Bozhin, Dylan Mertens, Igor Kalinin – Ilnur Alshin, Mohamed Brahimi, Vyacheslav Yakimov, Andrey Ivlev – Vladimir Ilyin, Alexey Kashtanov.
Defender Max Dziov will miss the match due to injury.
Lokomotiv
Mikhail Galaktionov's team failed to overcome Orenburg at home in the last round (1-1). As a result, Lokomotiv has been unable to secure a win in five of their last six league matches (3 draws, 2 losses). Additionally, the team has kept a clean sheet only once in their last nine RPL games. The Moscow side is in sixth place in the standings with 46 points, trailing the top three by six points.
- The team has scored no more than once in 7 of their last 8 away Premier League games.
- No more than two goals have been scored in 6 of the club's last 8 away league matches.
- The Moscow team has not scored in the first half of their last eight away RPL games.
Predicted lineup for Lokomotiv (4-5-1)
Anton Mitryushkin – Maxim Nenakhov, Yegor Pogostnov, Evgeny Morozov, Alexander Silyanov – Artem Timofeev, Alexey Batrakov, Dmitry Barinov, Vladislav Sarveli, Sergey Pinyaev – Dmitry Vorobyev.
Defender Ilya Samoshnikov is out due to injury. Defender Evgeny Morozov and midfielder Artem Timofeev are suspended.
Referee
Evgeny Kukulyak (Russia)
Matches – 8 (RPL, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 26;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.2;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 13%.
Match Prediction: Fakel vs. Lokomotiv
Encounters involving Voronezh rarely feature high-scoring football, and at home, Fakel only scores on rare occasions while also limiting their opponents. In their last 13 home matches in the current league, the club has scored just four goals and has not scored in their last five home games. Meanwhile, the team has conceded more than one goal at home only three times in this Premier League season.
Lokomotiv has not been impressive lately, especially in away games. Mikhail Galaktionov's side has decreased their scoring rate: in their last eight away league matches, the Moscow side has broken through the opposition's defense more than once on only one occasion. Additionally, in five of their last seven away games in the league, the club has conceded a maximum of one goal.
I don't expect any drastic changes in the teams' performance, so I anticipate a low-scoring match. My prediction: Total under 2.5 goals
