Lokomotiv (home)
- FK Lokomotiv Moscow arrive in great shape with five wins, three draws and only two defeats from their last ten matches in all competitions.
- Lokomotiv drew 1-1 at home with Akhmat Grozny at the weekend and lost 2-1 away at Dynamo Makhachkala the previous Thursday, so their momentum is not unstoppable, but neither are they in a bad place at the moment.
- Mikhail Galaktionov has kept them compact and disciplined since he took charge in November 2022, playing a 4-2-3-1 system that prioritises control in the center of the field and avoids overplaying at the sides or behind the forwards.
CSKA (away)
- CSKA have a slightly inferior record of three wins, three draws and four defeats over that same period.
- CSKA have lost both of their last two away games, suggesting they have some jet lag to overcome here.
- CSKA coach Dmitriy Igdisamov, appointed in May 2026, has gone in the other direction, playing a sharper 4-3-3 system with a strong front-foot press and vertical play.
- It has worked well in some games, but they were still beaten 5-2 by Dynamo Moscow in the middle of May and their draw against Kryliya Sovetov was an example of a game where the team was stubborn rather than fluent.
Head-to-Head
Lokomotiv won 1-0 at home to CSKA in a club friendly just two weeks ago, which extended a recent trend of tight margins in the Moscow derby with Lokomotiv winning two and CSKA winning three of their five most recent head-to-heads.
Betting Insights
- The visitors have been less than convincing on their travels recently, winning one, drawing one and losing three away games in all competitions, scoring only 0.80 goals per game and conceding 1.60 per game.
- Lokomotiv have won five and drawn three of their eight home games in all competitions, averaging 1.38 goals per game for and only 0.25 against.
- The visitors are 2.65 while Lokomotiv are 2.67, although the tie is at a much shorter 3.48, but our preference is for goals in this derby that should open up in spells.
- Over 2.5 goals at 1.81 and Both Teams To Score - Yes at 1.6 are our top bets for this matchup, while a 2-1 home victory for Lokomotiv looks good in the correct score market.
Prediction
Lokomotiv's home advantage and superior recent form should be enough to nick it or at least avoid defeat against the slight favourites CSKA .
