Khimki – Zenit

The Russia Premier League champions Zenit kick-off the new season away at a Khimki side that finished last season in mid-table. Khimki secured an 8th-place finish last season, missing out on European football by 8pts, so there is plenty of work to do to bridge the gap between themselves and the top five.

Zenit cruised to the league title in the end, finishing 8pts clear of their nearest rivals Spartak Moscow. Along with the best attack in the league, Zenit also boasted the strongest defensive record by a mile, so it is going to be tough to stop the champions from reclaiming their crown this season.

We’re predicting a win and a clean sheet for visiting Zenit this weekend as they have won nine of their last ten games against Khimki, keeping clean sheets in four of the pair’s last five head-to-heads. The hosts have failed to score in four of their last six matches heading into this weekend’s clash and have lost each of their last five fixtures,