SKA Khabarovsk vs Veles

SKA Khabarovsk host Veles Moscow in an FNL clash that means very different things for each side. SKA sit rock bottom of the 18-team table with zero points from four rounds, while Veles have climbed to second, giving this fixture real weight at both ends of the standings. SKA's form is grim — four straight defeats, including a 0-3 home loss to Ural, and just one goal scored all season. Veles, by contrast, have won three of four, capped by a battling 2-1 comeback over Rotor in which Zakhar Tarasenko equalized before Artur Murza struck the winner. Their only blemish was a 1-4 defeat to Yenisey. The two sides know each other well: a pre-season friendly in July ended 2-2, while their last competitive meeting in February went the way of SKA, 3-2. History has otherwise favored the hosts, who own a 6-0 win in the fixture's biggest scoreline. Our prediction: 1-2