The Matchday 27 clash in the Russian Premier League between Fakel and Spartak will take place on May 4 at the Fakel Stadium in Voronezh. Fakel vs. Spartak: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Fakel
In the previous round, Igor Shalimov's team suffered a 1-2 defeat away to Rubin. As a result, Fakel extended their winless streak in the league to 14 matches (5 draws, 9 losses). However, the team managed to score for the first time in ten previous Premier League matches. In the standings, there were no changes for the club: 15 points and last place. Notably, Fakel has conceded only ten goals at home this season in the RPL, trailing only Krasnodar (7) and Zenit (9) in this regard.
- The club has not won in their last nine home matches in the RPL (6 draws, 3 losses).
- The team failed to score in 6 of their last 9 home league matches.
- Voronezh has conceded exactly one or two goals in 6 of their last 7 home Premier League matches.
Predicted lineup for Fakel (4-4-2)
Vitaly Gudiev – Igor Yurganov, Sergey Bozhin, Max Dziov, Igor Kalinin – Irakli Kvekveskiri, Mohamed Brahimi, Nikita Motspan, Andrey Ivlev – Vladimir Ilyin, Alexey Kashtanov.
Defender Max Dziov will miss the match due to injury. Midfielders Irakli Kvekveskiri and Nikita Motspan are suspended.
Spartak
Dejan Stankovic's side were defeated 1-2 by CSKA at home in the previous round. This loss marked Spartak's second defeat in their last three RPL matches. These results have impacted their position in the standings: the club with 50 points has dropped to fourth place, and the gap to the leading Krasnodar has increased to eight points. Notably, the team has shown solid defensive play, conceding only 11 goals away in the current championship, second only to CSKA (7) and Zenit (8).
- The team has not lost in 9 of their last 11 away matches in the Premier League (6 wins, 3 draws).
- The club has kept a clean sheet in 5 of their last 7 away league matches.
- Exactly two or three goals have been scored in 5 of Spartak's last 7 away matches in the RPL.
Predicted lineup for Spartak (4-3-3)
Ilya Pomazun – Daniil Denisov, Christopher Martins, Alexis Duarte, Srdjan Babic – Danil Prutsev, Nail Umyarov, Ezequiel Barco – Manfred Ugalde, Marquinhos, Theo Bongonda.
Defender Srdjan Babic and midfielder Ezequiel Barco will not play due to suspension.
Referee
Ranel Ziyakov (Russia)
Matches – 7 (RPL and First League, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 31;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.4;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 29;
Penalties – 14%.
Fakel vs. Spartak: Match Prediction
Even at home, Voronezh prefers to play defensively and rarely delights fans with goals. In 12 home matches this season, Fakel has scored only four goals – the worst record in the Premier League by far. Moreover, the team has not scored in their last four home RPL matches.
Spartak, on the other hand, has often displayed confident defensive play this season, achieving 14 clean sheets. Even away from home, Dejan Stankovic's side has been solid in defense, keeping a clean sheet in 5 of their last 7 away Premier League matches. During this period, they have not conceded against opponents like CSKA, Rostov, and Krasnodar, who perform well at home.
I don't think the hosts will have many attacking chances, so I expect another clean sheet from Spartak. My prediction: Fakel Individual Total Under 0.5
