The Matchday 2 clash of the FONBET Russian Cup 2025/26 between Zenit and Rubin will take place on August 12 at the Gazprom Arena in Saint Petersburg. Zenit vs. Rubin: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Zenit
Sergei Semak's side secured a 2-1 victory away against Akhmat in the first round. This win marked their ninth victory in the last 10 Russian Cup matches (1 loss). Impressively, Zenit kept a clean sheet in six of these encounters. The team scored at least two goals in five of their last seven national cup games. In Group A, the club is currently in second place.
- At least one opponent failed to score in 6 of Zenit's last 8 Russian Cup matches.
- The team has a streak of six consecutive home wins in this tournament.
- Zenit has conceded only one goal in their last six home matches in the national cup.
Projected lineup for Zenit (4-4-2)*
Denis Adamov – Arsen Adamov, Nuraly Alip, Roman Vega, Strahinja Erakovic – Wendel, Yuri Gorshkov, Yaroslav Mikhailov, Nikita Lobov – Luciano Gondou, Alexander Sobolev.
Defender Vanya Drkusic and Nino sustained injuries in the last RPL round.
Rubin
Rubin topped Group A after a 2-0 victory against Orenburg in the first round. The team managed to win for the first time in four national cup matches (1 draw, 2 losses), and Rashid Rakhimov's side has not scored more than one goal in their last six matches in this tournament. However, Rubin has been defensively solid, conceding no more than one goal in 5 of their last 6 Russian Cup games.
- No more than two goals were scored in 8 of Rubin's last 9 national cup matches.
- The club has lost 9 of their last 11 away matches in this tournament (2 wins).
- Rubin conceded first in 6 of their last 8 away games in the Russian Cup.
Projected lineup for Rubin (4-5-1)*
Artur Nigmatullin – Alexey Gritsaenko, Konstantin Nizhegorodov, Igor Vujacic, Ilya Rozhkov – Alexander Zotov, Marat Apshatsev, Nikola Cumic, Veldin Hodza, Ruslan Bezrukov – Merlind Daku.
Zenit vs. Rubin: Match Prediction
The last round of the national championship brought unexpected results for both teams. Zenit lost to Akhmat (0-1), while Rubin suffered a heavy defeat against CSKA (1-5). I believe both teams will seek to redeem themselves in the Russian Cup, but Zenit seems to have a better chance of achieving a positive outcome.
Zenit has been impressive at home in the national cup. The team has won 10 of their last 12 home matches in this tournament (2 draws). Notably, Zenit has scored at least two goals in 10 of these matches, including against Rubin in the previous Russian Cup edition.
Rubin rarely wins in the national cup. The victory against Orenburg was only their second in the last seven matches in this tournament. Additionally, Rubin has lost 9 of their last 11 away matches in the Russian Cup. With such performances, it will be challenging for Rubin to secure three points against Zenit, to whom they have lost 4 of their last 5 official meetings, conceding 13 goals during this period.
My prediction: Zenit to win and Total over 1.5 goals
* The lineup for each team reflects their starting eleven in their previous match in this tournament.
