Baltic Sea — Zenit: preview
We provide the predictions for the Baltic Sea vs. Zenit match in the fifth round of the 2026/27 Russian Cup group stage.
"Baltic Sea" hopes to enter the upper part of the playoff table in the Cup. "Zenit" is already almost there.
Key points
Baltic Sea
1. "Baltic Sea" does not maintain last year's level, but it also does not collapse
After the departure of several leaders, Andrey Talalaev asked fans to wait for the peak in a calm manner. "Baltic Sea" is playing much worse than last season, but it has not become a survival fighter – in the league, the Calinigranites are in ninth place. However, the team is still capable of facing any opponent: in the last round, the Baltics saved a draw in Krasnodar in stoppage time. The two matches against "Zenit" this year were also good: in St. Petersburg, in the Cup, the hosts won 1–0, and in the championship, away, the champions won 3–2. In the cup competition, "Baltic Sea" is ahead of "Krylya Sovetov" thanks to head‑to‑head, occupying second place in the quartet.
2. Chivich suspended, Talalaev will rotate the squad
"Baltic Sea" plays very demanding football, so in the Cup it needs to rotate more than many rivals. The team will not benefit from the main left‑back Eldar Chivich, who received a suspension in the previous match. His place will be taken by Mikhail Ryadno. Evgeniy Latsionok will rest in the match against his former club, and Yegor Lyubakov will appear in the starting lineup. In the last Cup round, the central defender Ilya Kirsh, trained in the "azul‑blancos", scored for "Baltic Sea". Instead of Mingyan Bebeiev, Fakhad Mufi could appear.
3. "Baltic Sea" lost the last four matches against "Zenit" with a minimal score
After its first return to the 21st‑century elite under Sergey Ignashevich, "Baltic Sea" has consistently fought against "Zenit" in the north‑western derby. However, it only managed to avoid defeat twice: in the 2023 Cup in Kaliningrad, with a surprising minimal victory for the hosts, and in the first official league match under Andrey Talalaev (0–0). In 2024, "Zenit" beat "Baltic Sea" in the Cup final, and the last four matches ended with one‑goal victories. The Calinigranites fight, but they lack class.
Zenit
1. "Zenit" won six consecutive official matches
The start of the season was tough for the Russian champions. The team played a little convincing match against "Spartak" (0–2), surprisingly lost at home to "Rodina" (1–2) and did not give up against CSKA (1–2) – there were more defeats than in the entire previous season. However, Sergey Semak did not let panic take over and managed to stabilize the "azul‑blancos"'s play in no time. "Zenit" achieved six consecutive victories in all competitions and returned to first place in the league table. Among these successes was an important win in Krasnodar (3–2). In the Cup, "Zenit" also maintains its level, and the exit from the group stage in first place seems a formality.
2. Adamos can start from the bench, Vendel returned from injury, but Semak can protect him
Due to the density of the Premier League table and the almost resolved minimum task in the Cup, Sergey Semak can perform a full squad rotation, fortunately "Zenit"'s bench is the longest in the league. In the match against "Dinamo" of Makhachkala, Denis Adamos sat on the bench and will likely have the opportunity in Kaliningrad. After an injury, Vendel played for the first time, but for Semak it is reasonable to protect the Brazilian against one of the toughest leagues. In the Cup, "Zenit"'s main defender is Kevin Andrade, for whom the match against his former club will be crucial.
3. "Zenit" is not too convincing in defense, but in the Cup it is reliable
This season, the "azul‑blancos" are not very reliable in the back in the league. The team conceded thirteen goals – the fifth‑sixth score in the league, just like "Baltic Sea". Undoubtedly, defensive injuries influence – Igor Diveev has not played for a month. The team makes mistakes even in home matches against lower‑table rivals such as "Rodina" or "Dinamo" of Makhachkala, in the last round without a penalty. However, in the Cup things go much better – there "Zenit" conceded only once.
Approximate formations 3-4-1-2 4-3-4
Lyubakov21 Anderson3 Kirsh2 Varyatinov68 Ryadno5 Murid14 Kovach18 Mufi42 Pospelov9 Offor11 Porokhov16 Adamos25 Andrade28 Alip82 Volkov15 Karavaev38 Musaev14 John21 Erokhin51 Shilov61 Kondakov9 Augusto
Betting trends
"Zenit" won four of the last five live matches. P2 – at 1.88.
In four of the last five live matches, at least one team did not score. OZ – no – at 1.8.
Prediction
Baltic Sea vs Zenit 29.10.2026 22:45
"Baltic Sea" does not maintain last year's level, but still plays well – it is in the middle of the league table and seeks to advance from the Cup group stage. The team is still capable of facing serious rivals – in the last league round, it saved a draw in Krasnodar. Andrey Talalaev cannot count on Eldar Chivich and will rotate the squad. "Baltic Sea" constantly forces "Zenit", but always lacks something – in the last four live matches the team lost with a minimal score.
"Zenit" emerged from the crisis – won six consecutive official matches and returned to first place in the Premier League table. In the Cup, the team also leads the group. In the last match, Denis Adamos sat on the bench and must start. Sergey Semak will also give time to the substitutes. This season, "Zenit"'s defense is not very secure. "Baltic Sea" is consolidating, and the Piterians will not have the motivation for the tournament, where they have already almost secured first place in the group. Therefore, let us assume a draw. Prediction: 1–1
