Zenit Saint Petersburg — Dinamo Makhachkala : Match Preview and Prediction for August 23,2025

Zenit’s Slow Start and Coaching Speculation

Zenit St. Petersburg, in what marks their ‘re-imagined centenary’ year, has displayed a notably sluggish start to the season. Media speculation regarding a potential change in coaching staff, with Sergei Semak’s position under scrutiny, is steadily gaining momentum. Despite recent high-profile acquisitions like Pedro, Luis Enrique, Vega, and Gerson, head coach Sergei Semak has thus far struggled to forge a cohesive and consistent playing style for the team.

Reliance on Individual Brilliance

The reigning Russian vice-champions often rely on flashes of individual brilliance to salvage results, yet a comprehensive, well-structured team performance remains elusive for the St. Petersburg giants. Their recent ‘All-Russian Derby’ against Spartak Moscow saw them narrowly escape with a 2-2 draw, largely due to Sobolev’s equalizer while playing a man down. Adding to the drama, Barco infamously missed a penalty with an incredibly clumsy double-touch, highlighting their current struggles.

Urgency for Victory and Key Absences

As a pre-season favorite, Zenit has already dropped a significant number of points. Facing Makhachkala, it’s imperative for them to rediscover their winning form, a momentum that has been absent for four consecutive RPL matches. Zenit will be without Karavaev and Moskvichev due to injuries, while the influential Douglas Santos is unavailable, serving a suspension following his red card in the last fixture against Spartak.

Dinamo’s Steady Start and Pragmatic Approach

Dinamo Makhachkala has maintained a reasonably steady start to their campaign, even with two defeats in their opening five championship fixtures. Khasanbi Bizhiev’s side continues to employ a pragmatic and defensively sound counter-attacking style. Earning five points by this stage of the season is a commendable achievement for a team in its second year in the top flight.

Recent Setback and Lessons Learned

Regrettably, the ‘white-blues’ suffered a 0-2 defeat to Pari NN in their most recent league outing, with Boselli and Olasegun securing the decisive goals before halftime. This result, however, provides an opportunity for introspection and adjustments ahead of their demanding clash with Zenit. It’s worth noting that key players Dapo and Sandarchuk have been sidelined with injuries since the beginning of the season and remain unavailable for this fixture.