The Matchday 3 clash of the FONBET Russian Cup 2025/26 between Akhmat and Rubin will take place on August 26 at the Akhmat Arena in Grozny. Akhmat vs. Rubin: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Akhmat
The Grozny team suffered defeats in their last two Russian Cup matches, both with a score of 1-2, against Zenit and Orenburg. This extends their losing streak in the tournament to seven matches. However, Akhmat managed to score in five of these encounters. Stanislav Cherchesov's men are at the bottom of Group A, having conceded the most goals in the group – four.
- Both teams scored in Akhmat's last five Russian Cup matches.
- At home, the team has not won in 5 of their last 7 Russian Cup matches (1 draw, 4 losses).
- Akhmat scored in 6 of their last 8 home games in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Akhmat (4-5-1)
Vadim Ulyanov – Turpal-Ali Ibisev, Darko Todorovic, Rizvan Utsiev, Mehdi Zare – Usman Ndong, Amin Talal, Maxim Samorodov, Ismael Silva, Abakar Gadzhiev – Mohamed Konate.
Rubin
Kazan has three points after two rounds. The team won their home match against Orenburg but lost their last match away to Zenit (0-3). Rashid Rakhimov's side has only one win in their last five Russian Cup matches (1 draw, 3 losses). Moreover, Rubin failed to score in four of these encounters. The club is in second place in Group A.
- Kazan has not conceded more than one goal in 5 of their last 7 Russian Cup matches.
- Away, the team has lost 10 of their last 12 matches in this tournament (2 wins).
- In 7 of their last 9 away Russian Cup matches, Rubin failed to score.
Predicted lineup for Rubin (4-5-1)
Artur Nigmatullin – Alexey Gritsaenko, Konstantin Nizhegorodov, Dmitry Kabutov, Egor Teslenko – Alexander Zotov, Aleksandar Yukić, Alexander Lomovitsky, Bogdan Yochich, Marat Apshatsev – Enri Mukba.
Referee
Yevgeny Kukulyak (Russia)
Matches – 6 (Russian Cup, 2023/24 - 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 25;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.2;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 26;
Penalties – 0%.
Match Prediction: Akhmat vs. Rubin
The opponents met in the first round of the current championship, with Kazan emerging victorious (2-0). Since then, Grozny has changed their head coach, and the team's fortunes have improved. After appointing Stanislav Cherchesov, Akhmat has not lost in three RPL matches (2 wins, 1 draw) and suffered a defeat in an away cup match. In the Russian Cup, the team has a streak of seven losses, but five of them were against the top three teams from the previous Premier League season. Moreover, Akhmat has not lost to Kazan at home in 10 of their last 13 league encounters (4 wins, 6 draws).
Rubin has had catastrophic results in away matches in the national cup: the team lost 10 of their last 12 matches and failed to score in 8 of those games. With such performances, it will be challenging to secure a positive outcome against a tough opponent.
The team managers might consider squad rotation, but Grozny could field two key players who were suspended in the last RPL round. This could be another advantage for the hosts. It's worth noting that in 14 of the last 15 meetings at Akhmat's home ground in the league, no more than three goals were scored.
My prediction: Akhmat will not lose and Total under 3.5 goals
