Rostov – Zenit

The visitors will win and celebrate the championship trophy

Fate rewarded the players and coaching staff of Zenit for their persistence and patience. Two rounds before the end of the season, the Saint Petersburg club found itself in a losing position, trailing the Premier League leaders Krasnodar by one point. However the penultimate matchday for Sergei Semak's team turned out to be a real surprise. Zenit benefited from Dynamo Moscow, which in a hardest-fought match defeated Krasnodar. Not having much to play for in the league, the White and Blues scored more goals than the Bulls, who had squandered a slew of chances. Before the final matchday of the Premier League, the championship trophy was almost in Zenit's hands. To win it, they needed at least a draw in Rostov, if Krasnodar beats Orenburg in the parallel fixture. If Murad Musaev's team cannot win its match, Zenit will become champions even in the event of a loss to Rostov. Of course, Sergei Semak's players didn't toil all season just to prepare themselves for even a draw in the decisive championship match. In Rostov-on-Don они will arrive with a clear intention to score two or three goals already in the first half and to give the Premier League officials time to calmly prepare for the post-match ceremony honoring the champions. Bookmakers have named the guests as the favorites for the upcoming match, offering odds of 1.31 on their victory. Zenit also has the advantage that Rostov had already resolved all their league objectives in the previous round. The home side secured a finish in a safe position and no longer risked ending up in the relegation playoff zone. Also for the Saint Petersburg players the memories of the penultimate season are pleasant, when the fate of the gold medals was also decided in a match with Rostov. Then they earned a 2-1 victory and became Premier League champions. Ahead of the match at Rostov Arena, Zenit comes with a three-match winning streak, two of which were by a two-goal margin. They did not win comfortably only against Sochi, who in Saint Petersburg fought for survival in the elite division and lost 1-2. Zenit will win the match comfortably and reclaim the championship title.