The Matchday 29 clash in the Russian Premier League between Khimki and Rubin will take place on May 17 at the Arena Khimki. Khimki vs. Rubin: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Khimki
In the previous round, Magomed Adiev's team drew 1-1 with Orenburg away from home. As a result, Khimki extended their winless streak in the league to six matches (3 draws, 3 losses). However, the team managed to score in 7 of their last 8 Premier League matches. In the standings, the club is in 12th place with 26 points, ahead of Paris NN only on tiebreakers. Notably, Khimki is assured of not being directly relegated from the RPL, as they are seven points clear of the 15th spot.
- The club has not lost in the first half in their last 10 home matches in the RPL (4 wins, 6 draws).
- The team has scored exactly one or two goals in seven of their last home league matches.
- Both teams have scored in 5 of Khimki's last 6 Premier League matches.
Predicted lineup for Khimki (4-5-1)
Nikita Kokarev – Dani Fernandez, Danil Stepanov, Georgy Dzhikiya, Alexander Filin – Zelimkhan Bakaev, Lucas Vera, Alex Corredor, Robert Mejia, Ilya Berkovsky – Anton Zabolotny.
Defenders Edgardo Farina and Diego Luna will miss the match due to injuries.
Rubin
Rashid Rakhimov's team overcame Rostov at home in the last round, scoring the winning goal in the dying moments (1-0). As a result, Rubin secured only their third win in the last seven league matches (1 draw, 3 losses), with none of the victories coming away from home. Furthermore, the team has kept a clean sheet only twice in this period. In the standings, the Kazan side is in seventh place with 42 points and cannot climb higher, as they are seven points behind the sixth spot.
- The team has lost 4 of their last 5 away matches in the Premier League.
- The club has conceded at least two goals in 6 of their last 7 away league matches.
- At least three goals have been scored in 6 of Rubin's last 7 away matches in the RPL.
Predicted lineup for Rubin (4-4-2)
Evgeny Staver – Dmitry Kabutov, Alexey Gritsaenko, Igor Vujacic, Egor Teslenko – Veldin Hodja, Ugochukwu Iwu, Valentin Vada, Ilya Rozhkov – Dardan Shabanhadjaj, Mirlin Daku.
Midfielder Veldin Hodja is suspended.
Referee
Rafael Shafeev (Russia)
Matches – 6 (RPL, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 16;
Average yellow cards per match – 2.7;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 22;
Penalties – 17%.
Khimki vs. Rubin: Match Prediction
For Kazan, this match is likely to be challenging – Khimki is capable of putting up strong resistance at home. Recently, the hosts have been performing confidently in home matches: in their last seven home league matches, the team has lost only once (2 wins, 4 draws). During this period, the club managed to secure points against Krasnodar, who are leading the standings, as well as Rostov, who are positioned one spot below Kazan.
Rubin, on the other hand, has achieved maximum results only at home recently, losing four times and drawing once in their last five away Premier League matches. Moreover, Kazan concedes a lot: in 6 of their last 7 away RPL matches, the team allowed their opponents to score at least twice.
I believe that Khimki, with greater tournament motivation, can fight for maximum results at home in this match. My prediction: Khimki with a handicap (0)
* For each team, the starting lineup from their last match in this tournament is indicated.
