The Matchday 1 clash of the 2025/26 Russian Cup between Dynamo Makhachkala and Pari NN will take place on July 30 at the Anzhi Arena. Dynamo Makhachkala vs. Pari NN: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Dynamo Makhachkala
The team is participating in the group stage of the RPL Path of the Russian Cup for the second time. Last season, Dynamo Makhachkala finished third in their group and moved to the Regions Path, where they ended their campaign in the second playoff round. They initially overcame Sochi (1-1, on penalties 4-3) but then fell to Lokomotiv (1-2). Notably, the Makhachkala side has not won in regular time in their last five national Cup matches (3 draws, 2 losses).
- The team has not won in regular time in 4 of their last 5 home matches in the Russian Cup (2 draws, 2 losses).
- The club scored in regular time in 3 of their last 4 home games in this tournament.
- No more than one goal has been scored in the second half of Dynamo's last five home matches in the national Cup.
Predicted lineup for Dynamo Makhachkala (4-4-2)
Timur Magomedov – Mutalip Alibekov, Mdar Shumakhov, Jemal Tabidze, Temirkan Sundukov – Nikita Glushkov, Ussem Mrezig, Kirill Zinovich, Razhab Magomedov – Serder Serderov, Gamil Agalarov.
Defenders Yan Djapo and Soslan Kagermazov are out due to injuries. Defender Imadeddin Azzi has joined the squad.
Pari NN
For the Nizhny Novgorod team, this is their third consecutive group stage in the RPL Path of the Russian Cup, but they have never advanced to the playoffs. In the last edition of this tournament, Pari NN finished last in their group, earning only four points in six matches. Overall, the team has only one win in regular time in their last 13 national Cup matches (2 draws, 10 losses). Additionally, they have not kept a clean sheet during this period.
- The team has not won in regular time in 5 of their last 6 away matches in the Russian Cup (1 draw, 4 losses).
- Exactly 2 or 3 goals have been scored in 90 minutes in 8 of the club's last 11 away games in this tournament.
- Nizhny Novgorod scored exactly 1 or 2 goals in regular time in 7 of their last 9 away matches in the national Cup.
Predicted lineup for Pari NN (4-4-2)
Nikita Medvedev – Maxim Shnapcev, Viktor Alexandrov, Sven Karic, Juan Camilo Castillo – Mamadou Maiga, Thiago Vecino, Veshner Tichic, Daniil Lesovoy – Juan Boselli, Vyacheslav Grulev.
Defender Alexander Ektov is injured.
Referee
Anton Frolov (Russia)
Matches – 7 (Russian Cup, 2022/23 - 2023/24);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 18;
Average yellow cards per match – 2.6;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 28;
Penalties – 28%.
Match Prediction: Dynamo Makhachkala vs. Pari NN
In the previous Russian Cup edition, Hasanbi Bidzhiev's team performed admirably. While in the RPL, the Makhachkala side preferred a reliable defensive game, in cup matches, they aimed to be more aggressive offensively. Over eight matches in the last national Cup, Dynamo players failed to score only once – against Spartak. However, the team was not flawless in defense: over the last five matches in this tournament, the club conceded nine goals.
Nizhny Novgorod rarely struggles to break down opponents' defenses in cup matches and consistently scores even on the road. Over their last nine away matches in the Russian Cup, Pari NN only once left the field without scoring, and that was against Krasnodar, which is defensively strong. Meanwhile, the team rarely avoids defensive errors: Nizhny Novgorod has not kept a clean sheet in their last six away encounters in the national Cup, conceding 16 goals during this period.
I anticipate effective attacking performances from both sides, so my prediction: Both teams to score – yes
* The starting lineup for each team is based on their last match.
