Match Overview

The 6th round match of the FONBET 2025/26 season between Zenit and Orenburg is scheduled for October 22 at the Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg. This preview offers a detailed prediction, betting odds, and key statistics for the Zenit vs Orenburg encounter.

Zenit Team Analysis

Sergei Semak’s men secured a 1-0 away victory against Rubin in the previous round. The St. Petersburg side continues its flawless run without dropping any points, although their match against the Kazan team marked the first time they scored less than two goals in the current campaign. Nevertheless, with a total of 13 goals, Zenit stands as the most prolific club among all group stage participants. It’s worth noting that the club has already secured the top spot in Group A.

• Zenit scored the opening goal in their last 5 national Cup matches.
• The team boasts a streak of 8 home victories in this tournament.
• Zenit has kept a clean sheet in 10 of their last 12 home matches in the .

Zenit’s Probable Lineup (4-3-3)*

Evgeny Latyshonok – Vanja Drkšić, Roman Vega, Strahinja Eraković, Arsen Adamov – Aleksandr Erokhin, Yuri Gorshkov, Yaroslav Mikhailov – Luciano Gondo, Andrey Mostovoy, Aleksandr Sobolev. 

Midfielder Yaroslav Mikhailov and defender Roman Vega are suspended. Forward Mateo Cassierra and defender Strahinja Eraković are injured.

Orenburg Team Analysis 

Orenburg also claimed an away victory in their last game, defeating Akhmat 1-0. Heading into the final round, the team has accumulated 8 points (2 wins and 1 draw in regular time), guaranteeing them second place in the group. However, Orenburg possesses the worst defensive record in Group A, having conceded 8 goals. Despite this, the club has managed to score in 6 of their last 8 matches.

• No more than three goals were scored in 6 of Orenburg’s last 7 national Cup matches.
• Away from home in this tournament, the club has lost 6 of its last 8 matches (with 2 victories).
• Orenburg has scored in 8 of their last 10 away matches in the .

Orenburg’s Probable Lineup (4-4-2)*

Nikolay Sysuev – Alexey Tataev, Danila Khotulev, Nikolay Koserik, Stanislav Poroykov – Evgeny Bolotov, Dmitry Rybchinsky, Pavel Gorelov, Omar Minatulaev – Ivan Ignatiev, Alexandre Jesus. 

Match Official

Yury Karpov (Russia)

Matches – 5 (, 2023/24 – 2025/26);

Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 15;

Average yellow cards per match – 3;

Red cards shown – 2;

Average fouls per match – 28;

Penalties – 60%.

Match Prediction Analysis

These two teams have already clashed twice this season, delivering high-scoring encounters. Zenit emerged victorious in both previous matches, but notably conceded 5 goals in total. I anticipate that Orenburg will once again find the back of the net in the upcoming game.

Orenburg’s Offensive Potential

With no significant tournament pressure on Ildar Akhmetzyanov’s squad, they can afford to play with freedom and an attacking mindset. The team generally has no issues with scoring; Orenburg is second in Group A for goals scored, and they have consistently found the net in their last 6 official away fixtures. 

Zenit’s Defensive Vulnerabilities

Sergei Semak is highly likely to rotate his squad, given the crucial upcoming league match against Dynamo Moscow. This rotation could negatively impact defensive cohesion. While Zenit doesn’t concede many goals, they do so fairly regularly. It’s noteworthy that among all group leaders, Zenit has conceded the most goals.

Final Betting Tip

My prediction is Orenburg Individual Total Over 0.5 goals with odds of 1.90.

Author: Alexey Tarabrin

* The starting lineup indicated for each team is from their previous match in this tournament.