Dinamo Moscow – Zenit St. Petersburg. Thomas Giles prediction

Dinamo Moscow are arguably Russia’s most famous club but the last couple of seasons have been a complete disaster. Financial Fair Play problems stopped them from competing in Europe this year whilst those same financial difficulties resulted in them having to sell all of their best players. This has meant they have had to utilise a number of young and inexperienced players in their gruelling battle against relegation.

All of this has left them on the verge of relegation from a Russian or Soviet top flight for the first time in their history. However, they know that a win against Zenit at least means they will not go down automatically and could even pull them out of the relegation playoff spots if other results go their way.

Zenit have also experienced a bad campaign, although not at the same level as Dinamo. Zenit’s business model is almost entirely dependent on Champions League qualification which is now impossible and they are consigned to the Europa League next season. All of this means a rather sour end to Andre Villas Boas’s difficult tenure as Zenit’s head coach.

Perhaps the fact that Dinamo have something to fight for, unlike Zenit, means that the odds have not been too kind to Zenit. However, I would back the side from Saint-Petersburg to pull off a victory away in Moscow. I do not think that Dinamo’s young squad will be able to handle the pressure of playing in such a big game against a very threatening side and Zenit will exploit this.