RPL Format in the Season
A couple of years ago, Russian football seemed to be on the brink of significant changes. Domestic clubs repeatedly failed in European competitions, and the Russian national team, after a triumphant World Cup, slowed down. There were serious talks about the need for reforms in the Premier League, but then Russia was completely excluded from international competitions, and the planned changes were postponed. This season, as before, we will see the 16 best teams of the country, which will play according to the usual format.
For those looking to place their bets, Premier League Betting Predictions suggest that Zenit remains the strong favorite to clinch the title once again.
As a result of last season, Moscow's Torpedo and the Moscow region's Khimki took the last two spots in the Premier League, thus being relegated directly to the First League. The places they vacated were filled by the two best teams from the second-tier division of Russia – Baltika from Kaliningrad and Rubin from Kazan. Through the playoffs, Rodina and Yenisey had a chance to rise to the top division, but Pary NN and Fakel handled them, respectively.
Favorites of the Russian Football Championship – Who to Bet On?
Zenit is the strongest team in Russia for the past five years. At the start of the 2018/19 season, Sergei Semak took the helm of the team, and under his leadership, the "blue-white-light blues" have not once failed to win the championship. Naturally, winning is never guaranteed, but so far, there is no reason to believe that the champion will change. While other top clubs in the country are looking for ways to strengthen their squads, in St. Petersburg, there is already a well-played team. Although the Brazilian players are rumored to leave, it is clear that quality replacements will be brought in.
Next is Spartak, whose success is rated at odds of 10.00. This is not surprising, as last season Spartak finished in the top three, and that year was the debut for Guillermo Abascal as head coach. Now, he has experience working in Russia. Moreover, the club has managed to retain all its key players, and they continue to strengthen the squad. They signed the Congolese Theo Bongonda from Cadiz, and the more interesting move is the direct transfer of Jesus Medina from CSKA. The club is unlikely to stop there.
Lokomotiv is another team that performed excellently in the spring part of the season. This was especially noticeable after the team's failure in the first part of the season, when there were multiple changes in the coaching staff and management, and the "railroaders" were close to relegation at the winter break. Fortunately, after Mikhail Galaktionov took over as head coach, and the team was significantly strengthened, the club made remarkable progress. With such play, Lokomotiv could even fight for the championship, and you can bet on their victory at odds of 25.00.
Krasnodar had a modest start to last season, prompting Sergei Galitsky to bring in a new head coach, Vladimir Ivic from Serbia. In just a few months, Ivic reshaped Krasnodar's play, making it more direct and vertical, leading to a significant improvement in results and goal-scoring ability. The team managed to climb several positions in the standings, finishing in sixth place, and reached their second-ever Russian Cup final, where they lost to CSKA in a penalty shootout. Now, further progress can be expected from the "black-greens," and you can place a bet on their championship at odds of 25.00.
Statistical Trends from the Previous RPL Season
In recent years, football experts have been lamenting that Russian football is hard to watch due to the lack of competition, with most matches being dull and uneventful. While one could agree with the absence of a championship battle, as Zenit has won five consecutive titles and is unlikely to let competitors get close in the upcoming season, the issue of entertainment is not so straightforward.
The average goal-scoring rate in the league has continued to grow significantly in recent years. In the past season, 730 goals were scored in 240 matches (3.04 on average per game). For comparison, the previous season saw only 639 goals (2.66 on average per game), and in the 2021/22 season, there were only 583 goals (2.43 on average per game). The progress is evident! Here are some other statistical trends from the last RPL season:
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Most productive team: Zenit, with 74 goals in 30 matches (2.47 per game), compared to 66 goals the previous year.
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Least productive team: Krylia Sovetov, with only 32 goals (1.07 per game).
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Best defense: Zenit, conceding only 20 goals (0.67 per game).
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Most goals conceded: Orenburg, which conceded 55 goals (1.83 per game).
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Most attacking teams: Orenburg (23 out of 30 matches over 2.5 goals, 77%), Krasnodar (22 out of 30, 73%), and Akhmat (21 out of 30, 70%).
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Least attacking teams: Fakel (17 out of 30 matches under 2.5 goals, 57%), Krylia Sovetov (15 out of 30, 50%), and Ural (13 out of 30, 43%).
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Best teams in home matches: Zenit (40 out of 45 possible points, 89%), CSKA (36 out of 45, 80%), and Orenburg (33 out of 45, 73%).
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Worst teams in home matches: Krylia Sovetov and Pary NN (both 18 out of 45, 40%), Ural (19 out of 45, 42%).
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Best teams in away matches: Zenit (30 out of 45, 67%), Akhmat (26 out of 45, 58%), and Lokomotiv (24 out of 45, 53%).
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Worst teams in away matches: Fakel and Sochi (both 10 out of 45, 22%), and Pary NN (12 out of 45, 27%).
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Most corners: Zenit (186 total, 6.20 per game), Dynamo (167 total, 5.57 per game), and Spartak (166 total, 5.53 per game).
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Least corners: Pary NN (111 total, 3.69 per game), Fakel (113 total, 3.77 per game), and Lokomotiv (128 total, 4.27 per game).
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Most yellow cards: Pary NN (80 yellow cards, 2.76 per game), Akhmat (77 yellow cards, 2.57 per game), and Orenburg (76 yellow cards, 2.53 per game).
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Fewest yellow cards: Zenit (29 yellow cards, 0.97 per game), CSKA (53 yellow cards, 1.77 per game), and Krylia Sovetov (55 yellow cards, 1.83 per game).
