The Matchday 6 clash of the FONBET Russian Cup 2025/26 between CSKA and Akron will take place on October 21 at the VEB Arena in Moscow. CSKA vs. Akron: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
CSKA
In the previous round, the team defeated Lokomotiv (0-0, 4-2 on penalties). The Army Men have not lost in regular time for seven matches in the Russian Cup (3 wins, 4 draws), and in four of those games, CSKA kept a clean sheet. Fabio Celestini's side leads Group D, and a win in the upcoming game will keep them at the top. However, it's worth noting that among all the teams in first place, CSKA has the lowest goal tally with six goals.
- In 5 of their last 7 Russian Cup matches, CSKA scored exactly 1 or 2 goals.
- At home in this tournament, the team has won 6 of their last 7 matches (1 draw).
- In their last 13 home games in the national cup, the club has not conceded more than one goal.
Predicted lineup for CSKA (4-5-1)
Vladislav Torop – Milan Gajić, Djamalutdin Abdulkadyrov, Moisés Barbosa, Matvey Lukin – Mateus Alves, Artem Bandikyan, Daniel Ruiz, Gleb Popolitov, Matvey Kislyak – Alerandro.
Forward Tamerlan Musaev, midfielder Mateus Alves, defenders Ramiro di Luciano and Igor Diveev, and goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev are injured.
Akron
The Tolyatti side suffered a 0-3 away defeat to Baltika in the last round. As a result, Zaur Tedeev's team has lost 5 of their last 6 Russian Cup matches (1 draw) and has no chance of competing for the RPL Path playoffs. Even a win in the upcoming match does not guarantee further participation in the tournament. Akron has scored in 5 of their last 7 national cup matches.
- The club has a 7-match uncompromising streak on the road in this tournament (3 wins, 4 losses).
- Tolyatti has not scored more than one goal in 5 of their last 7 national cup games.
- In 5 of their last 6 away matches in the Russian Cup, Akron conceded first.
Predicted lineup for Akron (4-4-2)
Ignat Terekhovsky – Denis Popenkov, Rodrigo Eshkoval, Konstantin Savichev, Marat Bokoev – Khetag Khosonov, Stefan Loncar, Ifet Djakovac, Yomar Rocha – Soltmurad Bakaev, Benshimol.
Defender Denis Popenkov is suspended.
Referee
Sergey Tsyganok (Russia)
Matches – 5 (Russian Cup, 2024/25 - 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 17;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.4;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 25;
Penalties – 40%.
CSKA vs. Akron: Match Prediction
After their first-round encounter, the teams met again in the league in Moscow, with the Army Men winning 3-1. However, the motivation is greater in the RPL, while in the Russian Cup, teams might not put in full effort. Nevertheless, this factor is unlikely to prevent the capital club from gaining points. At home, CSKA shows excellent results, remaining unbeaten for 18 official matches (14 wins, 4 draws).
Akron hadn't won at the official level since late July until they visited Pari NN and secured their first victory in 14 matches in the RPL and Russian Cup (5 draws, 8 losses). With such results, Zaur Tedeev's side will find it difficult to earn points in the upcoming match. Scoring against the most reliable defense in the group will also be challenging. However, a goal fest from the Army Men in this national cup campaign is not expected either.
My prediction: CSKA will not lose and Total under 3.5 goals