Zilant Kazan vs CSKA Moskva: match preview on 17 September 2026

CSKA Moskva win at Zilant Kazan on Wednesday. The visitors have taken all five of their recent matches, scoring 153 goals while conceding 123, and they arrive at the 10th-placed hosts who have lost four of their last five outings. Zilant's form has been poor since that solitary victory against Kaustik Volgograd in May — they have not won since, and their goal difference of -8 across the same period suggests they are struggling to contain opposition attacks.

CSKA's run of five straight wins includes victories over two different Zenit sides and three other Superleague opponents. They scored 37 and 38 goals in their two most recent home matches, and even in a Supercup fixture against Chekhovskiye Medvedi they held a 26:22 advantage. The away win at Zenit Saint Petersburg, 25:22, confirms they can produce results when travelling. Zilant, by contrast, have lost on the road to Dinamo Astrakhan and Zenit, and at home to Krasnodar, with only the May victory against Volgograd standing out in their recent record.

The table positions reflect the current disparity. CSKA sit fifth with four points from two matches, while Zilant occupy tenth place with zero points from three games. That gap in both results and confidence gives the visitors the edge. CSKA have not dropped a point in any competition this season, and their attacking output — averaging 30.6 goals per match across the five games — is significantly higher than Zilant's 27.0 per match.

I see no reason for the visitors to falter. CSKA's consistency in both attack and defence across five matches, combined with Zilant's inability to secure results in their last four outings, points toward a comfortable away victory. A 30:26 scoreline fits the pattern of recent CSKA performances.

A draw would suit Zilant — but given their current form, that remains unlikely unless something changes in the first half.