The Matchday 3 clash of the FONBET Russian Cup 2025/26 between Orenburg and Zenit will take place on August 26 at the Gazovik Stadium. Orenburg vs. Zenit: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Orenburg
Vladimir Slishkovich's side started the tournament with a defeat against Rubin and then claimed a victory over Akhmat (2-1) in the last round. This win was only their second in the last nine Russian Cup matches (7 losses). The three points earned allowed Orenburg to climb to third place in Group A. It's worth noting that the club has conceded in 8 of their last 9 Russian Cup matches.
- Orenburg has scored in 11 of their last 13 Russian Cup games.
- At home, Orenburg has not drawn in 6 matches in this tournament (3 wins, 3 losses).
- The team has not conceded more than one goal in 6 of their last 8 home matches in the Russian Cup.
Predicted lineup for Orenburg (3-5-2)
Andrey Khodanovich – Alexey Tataev, Maxim Syshchenko, Nikolay Koserik – Georgy Zotov, Alexey Baranovsky, Vladislav Kamilov, Stanislav Poroikov, Atsamaz Revazov – Gedeon Guzina, Jordi Thompson.
Zenit
Sergey Semak's side has secured two victories in the current tournament. First, Zenit defeated Akhmat away, and then they triumphed over Rubin at home (3-0). Notably, Zenit is the only team to have won in regular time in both matches of this group stage. The club tops Group A, also leading in goals scored (5). It's worth mentioning that Zenit has won 10 of their last 11 Russian Cup games (1 loss).
- At least one opponent failed to score in 5 of Zenit's last 6 Russian Cup matches.
- No more than two goals have been scored in 5 of Zenit's last 7 away games in this tournament.
- The team has opened the scoring in 6 of their last 7 away matches in the Russian Cup.
Predicted lineup for Zenit (4-4-2)
Denis Adamov – Arsen Adamov, Nuraly Alip, Roman Vega, Strahinja Erakovic – Andrey Mostovoy, Yuri Gorshkov, Yaroslav Mikhailov, Maxim Glushenkov – Luciano Gondou, Mateo Cassierra.
Referee
Sergey Tsyganok (Russia)
Matches – 10 (Russian Cup, 2023/24 - 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 38;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.8;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 25;
Penalties – 33%.
Match Prediction: Orenburg vs. Zenit
While Zenit's performance in the RPL hasn't been stellar, Sergey Semak's side has been impressive in the Russian Cup. Zenit has collected maximum points and is the top-scoring team among all group stage participants. In the upcoming match, we are likely to see a rotated lineup from Zenit, but this is unlikely to prevent the club from defeating a favorable opponent. Zenit has beaten Orenburg in 10 of their last 12 Premier League encounters (1 draw, 1 loss).
Vladimir Slishkovich is also expected to give playing time to his reserves. However, Orenburg's bench quality is significantly lower than Zenit's. Even the main squad may deliver unpleasant surprises to the fans. In the last RPL round, the club conceded twice while having a numerical advantage. Orenburg also has defensive issues in the Russian Cup, conceding in 8 of their last 9 matches, with at least two goals in 5 of those. Containing one of the tournament's best attacks will be very challenging.
My prediction: Zenit to win and Total over 1.5 goals
