The first leg of the Russian Cup 2025/26 RPL Path quarter-final between Dynamo Makhachkala and CSKA will take place on November 5 at the Anzhi Arena in Kaspiysk. Dynamo Makhachkala vs. CSKA: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Dynamo Makhachkala
Hasanbi Bidzhiev's side concluded the group stage with a 1-3 defeat to Spartak. This match decided the fate of the top spot in Group C, which ultimately went to the Moscow club. Notably, this was Makhachkala's first defeat (3 wins, 2 draws in regular time), but it's worth mentioning that Dynamo scored in all group matches. Last season, the club reached the quarter-finals of the RPL Path.
- Both teams scored in Dynamo's last 5 Russian Cup matches.
- The team has not won in regular time in 5 of their last 6 home matches in this tournament (2 draws, 3 losses).
- In their last 5 home games in the national cup, the club has not scored more than one goal.
Predicted lineup for Dynamo Makhachkala (3-4-3)*
David Volk – Imadeddin Azzi, Andres Alarcon, Ilyas Akhmedov – Shamil Gadzhiev, Soslan Kagermazov, Abdulpasha Dzhabrailov, Mohammed Azzi – Hazem Masturi, Radzhab Magomedov, Kirill Zinovich.
Defender Yan Djapo is in the team's infirmary.
CSKA
The "Army Men" completed the group stage without losing in regular time (3 wins, 3 draws). Moreover, the team has not lost in regular time in their last 8 Russian Cup matches. However, Fabio Celestini's side failed to keep a clean sheet in 4 of 6 games, and in terms of total goals conceded (5), the team ranked second after Lokomotiv (4). Nonetheless, this did not prevent the club from surpassing Lokomotiv in the main standings. CSKA has reached the semi-finals of the RPL Path in three consecutive Russian Cup seasons.
- The team has not conceded more than one goal in 7 of their last 8 Russian Cup matches.
- Away in this tournament, the "Army Men" have not won in regular time in 6 of their last 7 matches (5 draws, 1 loss).
- In 5 of their last 7 away games in the national cup, the club failed to find the net.
Predicted lineup for CSKA (4-4-2)*
Vladislav Torop – Joao Victor, Dzhamalutdin Abdulkadyrov, Moises Barbosa, Artem Bandikyan – Rodrigo Villagra, Daniel Ruiz, Matija Popovic, Lionel Verde – Gleb Popolitov, Artem Shumansky.
Midfielder Mateus Alves and defenders Moises Barbosa, Ramiro di Luciano are injured.
Referee
Ivan Saraev (Russia)
Matches – 5 (Russian Cup, 2023/24 - 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 19;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.8;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 23;
Penalties – 20%.
Match Prediction: Dynamo Makhachkala vs. CSKA
The last match against Spartak was the first in 9 recent Russian Cup games where Makhachkala conceded more than two goals. However, it might not have been crucial for Dynamo to finish in a specific position in the RPL Path playoffs, which could explain their atypical defensive performance. In the upcoming game, Hasanbi Bidzhiev's side is expected to demonstrate their usual solid defense.
Makhachkala has not conceded more than one goal in 9 of their last 11 official matches at home. Moreover, Dynamo kept a clean sheet in 6 games during this period. Notably, in the last RPL round, the club scored more than one goal for the first time in 13 previous home matches in both the Premier League and Russian Cup.
CSKA employs squad rotation in the national cup, which negatively impacts the team's performance. The "Army Men" have scored only three goals in their last 7 away games in this tournament, leaving the field goalless in 5 matches. I do not expect a surge in scoring against the defensively strong Makhachkala side.
My prediction: Total under 2.5 goals
* The starting lineup for each team is based on their previous match in this tournament.
