Zenit hosts FC Rostov in round 17 of the Russian Premier League. The match will be played on Friday, December 3rd at Gazprom Arena (Saint Petersburg)
Sergei Semak's team leads the standings with 36 points after 16 rounds. Zenit gained 11 victories and three draws and suffered two losses. The Blue-White-Sky Blues continue to maintain a comfortable advantage over competitors in the championship race. The current titleholders are four points ahead of Dynamo Moscow, and the third PFC Sochi is eight points behind them. On November 28, Zenit scored another three points, beating CSKA in Moscow with a score of 0-2. The Blue-White-Sky Blues, who played in a pragmatic style, gained victory with the efforts of Claudinho and Andrey Mostovoy.
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Vitaly Kafanov's team is in 11th place in the Russian championship standings with 17 points. FC Rostov chalked up four wins, five draws, and seven defeats in 16 matches. The Yellow-Blues remain dangerously close to the four worst teams in the RPL standings. They have a 3-point margin from the direct relegation zone, and only one point separates them from the playoff zone. FC Rostov cannot fix the situation due to unstable results. Having hammered Rubin Kazan at home (5-1), the Yellow-Blues lost points in the home match against Ufa (2-2), and on November 27, they lost away to Akhmat Grozny (2-0). FC Rostov extended their streak without away wins to four matches.
The reigning champions of Russia avoided defeat from FC Rostov in the previous five head-to-head matches. The last victory of the Yellow-Blues took place on their pitch in May 2019. In addition, Zenit has not lost to the Southerners in seven RPL home games since November 2013. In the current draw, the opponents crossed paths in the second round in Rostov-on-Don. Petersburgers defeated the home team with a score of 4: 2. Zenit should not experience any problems in the upcoming match. The Blue-White-Sky Blues have the best home statistics in the RPL — seven wins and one defeat in eight games. Beyond that, Semak's team is the most productive participant in the league with 41 goals scored. Rostov shares the status of the most conceding team with Nizhny Novgorod (29 goals conceded), so it will be difficult for the Yellow-Blues to keep a clean sheet. At the same time, Kafanov's team should score in St. Petersburg. Zenit conceded at least one goal in 13 of 16 rounds, and only CSKA Moscow (1-0) has not scored at Gazprom Arena in the current season. FC Rostov scored in seven out of eight away games and showed a productive streak of 14 consecutive rounds. So, the fans are likely to see goals in both nets.
Prediction for the match: Both teams to score — yes
