Ural vs Dynamo Makhachkala prediction
Ural
The "Bees" wrapped up their First League season in third place, although they had been sharing the lead with Voronezh's Fakel for quite some time. The team from Yekaterinburg stumbled during the stretch from last November to this March, tallying up just three draws and two losses to Fakel and Neftekhimik by identical scores of 0-1 in five rounds. As the season drew to a close, Ural truly disheartened their fan base, losing to Yaroslavl’s Shinnik at home (0-1) in the 32nd round and then falling to the underdog Novorossiysk Chornomorets (1-2) in the final match.
Dynamo Makhachkala
The Dagestanis once again showcased their fighting spirit, splitting points in recent Premier League matches against Akhmat and Spartak. Particularly against the Moscow club, the team from Makhachkala left little room for maneuver at their home stadium in Kaspiysk, denying the "red and whites" a shot at bronze medals. Vadim Yevseyev has been living up to his appointment as head coach with commendable results, namely, steering Dynamo away from relegation. A spot in the playoffs and a 14th place finish is quite respectable for the Caucasians, considering they ended the season on a nine-match winless streak. The "Dynamo" squad continues to miss Shumakhov due to injury.
Prediction
Over the course of this century, these rivals have locked horns four times, with Ural securing victory on just one occasion. The Yekaterinburg side doesn't boast a formidable home record, winning only 4 of their past 7 matches on familiar turf. Dynamo, however, remained unbeaten in three of their last four away games against stiff competition like Lokomotiv, Akhmat, and Akron. The Dagestanis seem to be in tip-top shape, exhibiting great discipline and pressing hard. With Miro and Agalarov leading upfront, they can turn a scoring opportunity into a goal at any given moment. I believe the visitors will hold their ground against Ural, who have yet to find the rhythm or the powerful setup they had during their Russian Premier League days.
