The Matchday 12 clash in the Russian Premier League between Lokomotiv and CSKA will take place on October 18 at the RZD Arena in Moscow. Lokomotiv vs. CSKA: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Lokomotiv
Mikhail Galaktionov's side defeated Dynamo Moscow 5-3 in the last round. The "Railwaymen" remain unbeaten in this season's championship (6 wins, 5 draws), and Lokomotiv is the only team that has scored in every match this season. The team has netted 26 goals in total, the best result in the league. However, the club has conceded 16 goals, and among the top half of the table, only Spartak has a worse record (17). Overall, the team occupies the 2nd spot in the standings.
- The "Railwaymen" have conceded in 9 of their last 10 Premier League matches.
- At home, the club has not been defeated in 11 consecutive championship games (5 wins, 6 draws).
- In 5 of their last 6 home games in this tournament, the team has scored at least two goals.
Predicted lineup for Lokomotiv (4-4-2)
Anton Mitryushkin – Alexander Silyanov, Lucas Fasson, Cesar Montes, Egor Pogostnov – Dmitry Barinov, Alexey Batrakov, Artem Karpukas, Danil Prutsev – Dmitry Vorobyov, Alexander Rudenko.
Defender Christian Ramirez is injured.
CSKA
In the last round, the team emerged victorious over Spartak with a 3-2 win. The "Army Men" secured their third consecutive victory in the championship, marking the second such streak for CSKA this season. It's worth noting that Fabio Celestini's side has conceded in 9 of their last 10 RPL matches, yet the club ranks in the top 4 for defensive reliability. Meanwhile, with 22 goals scored, the team is second only to Lokomotiv in terms of scoring. However, in the overall standings, CSKA leads the "Railwaymen" by one point.
- The club has not lost in 24 of their last 25 Premier League matches (16 wins, 8 draws).
- In 7 of their last 8 away games in this tournament, the team has conceded exactly 1 or 2 goals.
- CSKA has scored at least one goal in 8 of their last 10 away championship matches.
Predicted lineup for CSKA (4-5-1)
Vladislav Torop – Matvey Lukin, Milan Gajic, Matvey Lukin, Joao Victor – Kirill Glebov, Ivan Oblyakov, Danil Krugovoy, Henrique Carmo, Matvey Kislyak – Alerandro.
Forward Tamerlan Musaev, defender Ramiro di Luciano, and goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev are injured. Defender Moises Barbosa will miss the match due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
Referee
Ivan Abrosimov (Russia)
Matches – 5 (RPL, 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 26;
Average yellow cards per match – 5.2;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 27;
Penalties – 20%.
Match Prediction: Lokomotiv vs. CSKA
Both teams played very high-scoring matches in the last round. I believe there are all the prerequisites for us to see goals in this head-to-head encounter. This is also supported by their personal meetings in the Premier League, where 6 of the last 8 have seen both teams score, as well as the opponents' performances in the current championship.
The "Railwaymen" scored at least three goals for the fifth time in RPL 2025/26 in the last round. No defense has withstood the team's attack this season. Moreover, Lokomotiv's scoring streak in the championship spans 17 matches. However, during this stretch, Mikhail Galaktionov's side has only kept a clean sheet four times.
CSKA also has no issues with scoring. The team has scored only four fewer goals than Lokomotiv. In terms of goals conceded, the "Army Men" look better, but this does not indicate reliable defense. Fabio Celestini's side regularly allows their goal to be breached, but it usually ends with just one conceded goal. Lokomotiv's upcoming opponent has covered this norm over 16 home matches in the RPL.
Considering these facts, my prediction: Both teams to score – yes
