Bookmakers consider Krasnodar the favorite in the Round 29 match against Dynamo Moscow. Zenit will host Sochi at home, Krasnodar faces Dynamo Moscow, and Lokomotiv welcomes Baltika. Here are the key storylines for the 29th round of the Russian Premier League.
**Zenit vs. Sochi**
Venue: Gazprom Arena
Photo: FC Zenit
Zenit enters this match on an eight-game unbeaten streak. In the previous round, they defeated CSKA Moscow 3-1, with goals from Igor Diveev (30th minute), Alexander Sobolev (51st), and Luis Henrique (60th). That victory temporarily lifted Sergei Semak’s side to the top of the table, but they soon slipped back to second place. Zenit currently has 62 points, just one behind league leaders Krasnodar.
Sochi, meanwhile, secured a 3-1 win over Orenburg in the last round, thanks to a hat-trick from Kirill Kravtsov (7th, 33rd, and 67th minutes). That was their fourth win in five matches, a remarkable turnaround after managing only two victories in the first 23 rounds this season.
Sochi remains the RPL bottom-dweller, occupying 16th place with 21 points, firmly in the relegation zone.
In the earlier meeting this season, Zenit won 2-1. Sochi’s Zakhar Fedorov opened the scoring in the 31st minute, but second-half goals from Luis Henrique (59th) and Alexander Erokhin (84th) secured the win for the visitors.
**Lokomotiv vs. Baltika**
Venue: RZD Arena
Photo: FC Lokomotiv
The 28th round saw Lokomotiv draw 1-1 with Dynamo Moscow. Dynamo took the lead through Nicolas Marichal in the 24th minute, but Lokomotiv equalized via Artyom Karpukas in the 53rd minute. The last draw between these sides in the league was a 0-0 result in October 2023.
Lokomotiv sits third in the table with 50 points.
Baltika has suffered back-to-back defeats in their last two league matches, losing 0-1 to Akron and then 0-1 to Rubin. Before that, they had a four-match unbeaten run. Coach Andrey Talalaev’s team is currently fifth with 46 points.
**Paris NN vs. CSKA Moscow**
Venue: Sovcombank Arena
Photo: FC CSKA Moscow
Paris NN continues to struggle. They lost 0-2 to Akhmat in the last round, following a 1-2 defeat to Spartak in which they led 1-0 through Adrian Balboa’s 28th-minute goal before conceding twice. Paris NN is 15th with 22 points, in the direct relegation zone.
CSKA Moscow suffered a 1-3 loss to Zenit in round 28. The Army Men took the lead through Ivan Oblyakov’s penalty in the 5th minute but then allowed three goals: Diveev (30th), Sobolev (51st), and Luis Henrique (60th).
CSKA has gone five league matches without a win, including defeats to Sochi and draws with Krylya Sovetov, Rostov, and Rubin. They are sixth with 45 points. Additionally, on May 6, CSKA lost 0-1 to Spartak in the Russian Cup final of the Regions Path, eliminating them from the competition.
**Spartak vs. Rubin**
Date: May 11, 17:30 (Moscow time)
