The Matchday 26 clash in the Russian Premier League between Rostov and Lokomotiv will take place on April 26 at the Rostov Arena. Rostov vs. Lokomotiv: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Rostov
Jonathan Alba's side secured a 2-0 away victory against Fakel in the last round. Notably, before this, Rostov had suffered three defeats in four league matches. Additionally, the team managed to keep a clean sheet for the first time in eight previous Premier League encounters. The victory allowed the club to accumulate 36 points and climb to seventh place in the standings, with an eight-point gap to Lokomotiv, who are in sixth.
- The club has not won 6 of their last 9 home matches in the Premier League (2 draws, 4 losses).
- At least three goals have been scored in 5 of the team's last 7 home league encounters.
- Rostov has conceded no more than one goal in 5 of their last 6 home Premier League matches.
Predicted lineup for Rostov (4-3-3)
Rustam Yatimov – German Ignatov, Maksim Osipenko, Umar Sako, Ivan Komarov – Konstantin Kuchaev, Kirill Shchetinin, Daniil Shantaliy – Egor Golenkov, Ronaldo, Nikolai Komlichenko.
Goalkeeper Rustam Yatimov is out due to injury. Defender Umar Sako, midfielder Ivan Komarov, and forward Egor Golenkov are suspended.
Lokomotiv
In the last round, Mikhail Galaktionov's side confidently defeated Pari NN 3-0 at home. This victory was only Lokomotiv's second in their last ten Premier League matches (4 draws, 4 losses). Furthermore, the team has kept a clean sheet only twice in their previous 11 league encounters. In the standings, the Moscow side sits in sixth place with 44 points. It's also worth noting that Lokomotiv has scored 19 away goals this Premier League season, ranking fourth in this category.
- The team has not won in their last seven away Premier League matches (3 draws, 4 losses).
- No more than two goals have been scored in 5 of the club's last 7 away league matches.
- Lokomotiv has not scored in the first half of their last seven away Premier League matches.
Predicted lineup for Lokomotiv (4-5-1)
Anton Mitryushkin – Ilya Samoshnikov, Egor Pogostnov, Gerzino Nyamsi, Alexander Silyanov – Artem Timofeev, Alexei Batrakov, Vadim Rakov, Danila Godiaev, Sergei Pinyaev – Dmitry Vorobyev.
The participation of midfielders Alexei Batrakov and Danila Godiaev is in doubt.
Referee
Sergey Karasev (Russia)
Matches – 12 (Premier League, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 54;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.5;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 25;
Penalties – 25%.
Match Prediction: Rostov vs. Lokomotiv
At home, Rostov can pose a significant challenge to any opponent. Yes, in their last home match, Jonathan Alba's side lost 0-3 to Spartak, but overall, in this Premier League season, Rostov has not made many defensive errors: in 13 home matches this season, the team has only allowed opponents to score more than once on four occasions.
Lokomotiv's recent away performances have been less convincing. Their creativity has also been lacking: while they scored 14 goals in their first five away matches this Premier League season, they have managed only five in their last seven. Additionally, Lokomotiv has not scored more than once in 3 of their last 4 league encounters at Rostov's ground.
I do not expect the visitors' attack to suddenly improve in this match, so my prediction: Lokomotiv Individual Total Under 1.5
