The Matchday 19 clash in the Russian Premier League between Akhmat and Rubin will take place on March 1 at the Akhmat Arena in Grozny. Akhmat vs. Rubin: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Akhmat
In the previous round, Sergei Tashuev's team overcame Orenburg at home with a 1-0 victory. This win marked only the second victory for Akhmat in the current championship. Moreover, it was just the fourth time this season in the RPL that the club managed to keep a clean sheet. In the standings, Grozny has accumulated 13 points and is in second-to-last place. Notably, the team has conceded 18 goals at home this season – the most of any team.
- The club has not won in 10 of their last 11 home matches in the RPL (5 draws, 5 losses).
- The team has not scored more than once in 6 of their last 7 home matches in the Premier League.
- No more than two goals have been scored in 5 of Akhmat's last 7 home matches in the championship.
Predicted lineup for Akhmat (4-2-3-1)
Giorgi Shelia – Darko Todorovic, Nader Ghandri, Turpal-Ali Ibishev, Arsen Adamov – Daniil Zorin, Ismael Silva – Lechi Sadulaev, Daniil Utkin, Maxim Samorodov – Georgy Melkadze.
The participation of defender Miroslav Bogosavac and forward Bernard Berisha is in question. During the winter, goalkeeper Mikhail Oparin, defender Lucas Lovat, midfielder Camilo Oliveira, as well as forwards Svetoslav Kovachev and Felipe Cardoso left the club. Meanwhile, the squad was strengthened by defender Leo Goglichidze, midfielder Daniil Zorin, and forwards Rodrigo Ruiz Diaz and Georgy Melkadze.
Rubin
Rashid Rakhimov's side defeated Dynamo Makhachkala 3-2 away in the last round. As a result, Rubin has collected points in four consecutive RPL matches (2 wins, 2 draws) – the longest unbeaten run for the club in the current championship. Additionally, the team has scored more than two goals in a match for only the third time this season in the Premier League. Kazan confidently sits in the middle of the table with 26 points in eighth place. Notably, Rubin has earned 15 points away this season, ranking only behind four clubs in this regard.
- The team has not lost in 7 of their last 9 away matches in the championship (4 wins, 3 draws).
- The club has conceded exactly one or two goals in 8 of their last 9 away matches in the Premier League.
- Both teams have scored in 8 of Rubin's last 11 away matches in the RPL.
Predicted lineup for Rubin (4-4-2)
Evgeny Staver – Dmitry Kabutov, Rustam Ashurmatov, Konstantin Nizhegorodov, Ilya Rozhkov – Ruslan Bezrukov, Bogdan Yochich, Ugochukwu Iwu, Nikola Cumic – Dardan Shabanhaxhaj, Mirlin Daku.
Defender Alexey Gritsaenko will miss the match due to injury, while the participation of defenders Yegor Teslenko and Igor Vujacic is in doubt. Notably, during the winter, Kazan made only one significant transfer, selling forward Joel Fameyeh.
Referee
Artem Chistyakov (Russia)
Matches – 10 (RPL, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 37;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.7;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 25;
Penalties – 40%.
Akhmat vs. Rubin: Match Prediction
At home, Grozny aims to challenge any opponent and is not afraid to play openly. Akhmat players regularly find the net: in their last 14 home matches in the Premier League, the club has only failed to score three times. However, they often make costly mistakes in their penalty area: in their last 12 home matches in the championship, Grozny has kept a clean sheet only twice, and in half of those games, Akhmat conceded at least two goals.
Rubin prefers an attacking style and often scores in away matches. In their last 12 away matches in the RPL, the team has only been unable to breach the defenses of Spartak, Lokomotiv, and Fakel, who concede few goals at home. However, in seven matches during this period, Kazan scored at least twice. Nevertheless, they are not always reliable at the back: in 10 of their last 11 away matches in the championship, Rubin has failed to keep a clean sheet, and in five of those games, they conceded at least two goals.
I see all the prerequisites for expecting a high-scoring game in this encounter. My prediction: Total over 2.5 goals
