Zenit vs Dinamo Makhachkala: preview
We discuss the expectations for the encounter between Zenit and Dinamo Makhachkala as part of the twelfth round of the 2026/27 Russian Premier League.
"Zenit" continues the fight for first place in the league. Only one step remains to return to the top.
Key points
Zenit
1. "Zenit" extends its winning streak
Although the last match against "Akhmat" almost ended in a mistake, instead of the usual home win, Zenit had to come back and then win in the final part. Still, the team showed character and achieved its fifth consecutive victory in all competitions. It is the best streak of the season.
Previously, Zenit secured a win by will over Dinamo Makhachkala (2:1) in the cup, and in the league it did not lose a point against "Lokomotiv" (2:1), "Baltika" (3:2) and "Krasnodar" (3:2). The opponents’ mistakes allowed it to climb to second place in the RPL. Before the new round, the leader "Dinamo" still has a one-point difference.
2. Diviev’s return is delayed
The main defender has already missed three matches and will also watch the game from the bench on Sunday. According to Sergey Semak, Igor should recover next week.
Vendelá was originally expected a bit later, but now Zenit does not rule out that the Brazilian will be in the squad for the match against Dinamo. However, from the start in the defensive zone Artem Karpukás will return. Defender Roman Vega received several yellow cards, but his absence is not critical, as Douglas Santos has claimed his place in the starting lineup.
3. "Zenit" compensates defensive errors with high productivity
The team unusually concedes a lot. "Sukharey" has not scored in six consecutive matches, and in four of them, including the last three RPL games, he received two goals each time. In the last five league rounds, nine goals were conceded: only "Rodina" (10), Dinamo Makhachkala (11) and "Fakel" (12) surpass it.
However, except for the match against CSKA, Zenit consistently scored more than its opponents. In the first three RPL matches, the Puerto Ricans scored three goals each time, and overall, in the season they are more productive than any other club in the league: an average of 2.27 goals per 90 minutes. No other club has scored more than two goals. Zenit stood out in all areas, except for the away loss against "Spartak" at the end of summer (0:2). In the two cup matches against Dinamo Makhachkala, they scored five goals in total.
Dinamo Makhachkala
1. "Dinamo" won one of ten matches
The only victory was achieved at home against "Rodina" (2:0). The recent cup defeat to Zenit was the fourth consecutive and the eighth of the last nine encounters. Normally, Dinamo concedes in the fight, but there were very disastrous matches, for example, the loss in Orenburg right after the national teams’ break (0:4).
A week ago, Dinamo earned points in the clash against "Akron". However, on their own ground they clearly expected a win and were very close, but due to a goal in the final part they only managed a draw. At the end of the round, Dinamo occupied sixth place, but the table is very tight and the distance to the relegation zone is minimal.
2. Javad can start
The forward Miro came onto the field twice consecutively right after the break, and with "Akron" he finally entered the starting lineup, but he did not stay, returning only after a single half. Now the Angolan runs the risk of returning to the bench, because the substitute Javad scored a goal that almost became the winner. Normally the Iranian is used actively only in cup matches, but now he can receive more time in the league.
3. "Zenit" remains the most uncomfortable opponent
On Sunday the teams will play for the eighth in two years. Of the seven previous matches, the result was always the same: Dinamo lost. The characteristic is that in five occasions Makhachkala’s side could not even score, except in the last cup meeting, where the drought of more than 480 minutes was broken. When Dinamo managed to break the defense, they only had one goal.
Two of the last three visits to St. Petersburg ended in a big defeat, including the cup match in early September. Lately Dinamo looks weak in away stadiums: in four matches they have consistently lost at least three goals.
Approximate lineup lists
4-2-3-15-3-216
Adamov3
Santos28
Alip33
Nino31
Mantuán93
Karpukás5
Barrios20
Pedro10
Glushenkov11
Enrique7
Sobolev33
Karbashov77
Sundukov24
Alarcon19
Zinovich99
Alibekov23
Mahammadjonov14
Kuzyaev47
Glushkov16
Mrezigu25
Agalarov10
Husseinnejad
Trend betting
Dinamo did not score in five of the last six encounters with Zenit. IT2M 0.5 at 1.75.
Zenit won five of the last six matches against Dinamo, conceding no goals. The clean win of the home side at 2.01.
Prediction
Zenit vs Dinamo Makhachkala 25.10.2026 18:30
"Zenit" is getting closer and closer to first place in the league. Although the home match against "Akhmat" presented unexpected difficulties, Semak's team earned three points in the final part. Thus, the winning streak reached five matches in all competitions. During that time, Zenit never played dry, but defensive lapses were compensated by solid productivity: the Puerto Ricans consistently delivered two or three goals to opponents. In total, Zenit is the most productive in the league since the start of the season.
Dinamo continues to go through very difficult moments. In the last ten cup matches, they only have one victory over "Rodina". Before the visit to St. Petersburg, the team has not won five consecutive matches. The probability of a comeback on Sunday seems low because Zenit is the most hated opponent. Dinamo has lost all seven personal meetings, and now an eighth consecutive defeat is planned.
Prediction: 3-1
