The Matchday 2 clash in the Russian Premier League between Spartak and Baltika will take place on July 26 at the Lukoil Arena in Moscow. Spartak vs. Baltika: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Spartak
The Moscow club began the season with a narrow victory over Dynamo Makhachkala. Dejan Stankovic's side had the upper hand in many aspects, but their xG did not even suggest a goal. Nevertheless, Marquinhos managed to score the team's first goal in the 2025/26 Russian Premier League. Spartak secured their third consecutive win in the league, all with clean sheets. Additionally, Spartak has kept a clean sheet in 58% of their matches under Dejan Stankovic in the Premier League, a record in Russian championships.
- At least one opponent has failed to score in Spartak's last 5 RPL matches.
- In 7 of their last 9 home games in this tournament, the team scored first.
- At home, Spartak has conceded no more than one goal in 5 of their last 7 league matches.
Predicted lineup for Spartak (4-5-1)
Aleksandr Maksimenko – Ruslan Litvinov, Daniil Denisov, Xabi Mangas, Srdjan Babic – Nail Umyarov, Ezequiel Barco, Christopher Martins, Pablo Solari, Marquinhos – Manfred Ugalde.
Forward Theo Bongonda is injured. Defender Nikita Chernov has returned to the main group. Forward Levi Garcia is recovering from an injury.
Baltika
Kaliningrad's side managed to take points from Dynamo Moscow (1-1) in their first match after returning to the Premier League. Andrey Talalaev's team opened the scoring but failed to maintain their lead. Nevertheless, Baltika ended a run of 4 defeats in the RPL, although they have conceded in 10 consecutive matches in this tournament. However, the team has scored in 9 of those games.
- At least three goals have been scored in 8 of Baltika's last 9 Premier League matches.
- The team has lost 5 of their last 7 away games in the league (1 win, 1 draw).
- Kaliningrad's side has conceded exactly 1 or 2 goals in 6 of their last 7 away RPL matches.
Predicted lineup for Baltika (4-5-1)
Maxim Borisko – Amar Mohhamad, Mingiyan Beveev, Kevin Andrade, Nathan Gassama – Sergey Pryakhin, Andrey Mendel, Daniil Utkin, Yuri Kovalev, Maxim Petrov – Bryan Gil.
Referee
Sergey Karasev (Russia)
Matches – 16 (RPL, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 63;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.9;
Red cards shown – 4;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 37%.
Spartak vs. Baltika: Match Prediction
Although Spartak managed to secure three points in the first round, their victory was not convincing. Dejan Stankovic's team not only failed to capitalize on the difference in class but also couldn't press their opponent, who played almost the entire second half with ten men. Their next opponent looks stronger than the team from Makhachkala. It is worth noting that Spartak has only won by more than one goal in three of their last 12 RPL matches.
Baltika has never beaten Moscow clubs away in the RPL, but their match against Dynamo can be considered a positive outcome. By taking points from one of the championship favorites, the Kaliningrad side has gained confidence. Andrey Talalaev demonstrated a strategy against a superior opponent, which he is likely to employ against another Moscow team. Even in the season when Baltika was relegated from the RPL, they performed admirably on the road, suffering only two defeats by a margin of at least two goals.
My prediction: Baltika with a handicap (+1.5)
