The first leg of the Russian Cup 2025/26 RPL Path quarter-final between Dynamo Makhachkala and CSKA will take place on November 5 at the Anzhi Arena in Kaspiysk. Dynamo Makhachkala vs. CSKA: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Dynamo Makhachkala
Hasanbi Bidzhiev's side finished the group stage with a 1-3 defeat to Spartak. The battle for the top spot in Group C was decided in this clash, ultimately going to the Moscow club. It's worth noting that this was Makhachkala's first loss in regular time (3 wins and 2 draws), but they managed to score in all group matches. Last season, the club reached the RPL Path quarter-finals.
- Both teams scored in Dynamo's last 5 Russian Cup matches.
- At home, the team has failed to win in regular time in 5 of their last 6 matches in this tournament (2 draws, 3 losses).
- In their last 5 home games in the national cup, the club has not scored more than one goal.
Predicted lineup for Dynamo Makhachkala (3-4-3)
David Volk – Imadeddin Azzi, Andres Alarcon, Ilyas Akhmedov – Shamil Gadzhiev, Soslan Kagermazov, Abdulpasha Dzhabrailov, Mohammed Azzi – Hazem Masturi, Rajab Magomedov, Kirill Zinovich.
CSKA
The Army Men went through the group stage without a defeat in regular time (3 wins, 3 draws). Furthermore, the team has not lost in regular time over the last 8 Russian Cup matches. However, Fabio Celestini's side failed to keep a clean sheet in 4 out of 6 games, conceding a total of 5 goals, second only to Lokomotiv (4). Nevertheless, this did not prevent the club from surpassing Lokomotiv in the main standings. CSKA has reached the RPL Path semi-finals in three consecutive Russian Cup seasons.
- The team has not conceded more than one goal in 7 of their last 8 Russian Cup matches.
- Away from home in this tournament, the Army Men have failed to win in regular time in 6 of their last 7 matches (5 draws, 1 loss).
- In 5 of their last 7 away matches in the national cup, the club failed to score.
Predicted lineup for CSKA (4-4-2)
Vladislav Torop – Joao Victor, Dzhamalutdin Abdulkadyrov, Moises Barbosa, Artem Bandikyan – Rodrigo Villagra, Daniel Ruiz, Matija Popovic, Lionel Verde – Gleb Popolitov, Artem Shumansky.
Referee
Ivan Saraev (Russia)
Matches – 5 (Russian Cup, 2023/24 - 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 19;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.8;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 23;
Penalties – 20%.
Match Prediction: Dynamo Makhachkala vs. CSKA
The last match against Spartak was the first in 9 recent Russian Cup games where Makhachkala conceded more than two goals. However, it seems the team might not have prioritized their position for the RPL Path playoffs, resulting in atypical defensive displays. In the upcoming game, Hasanbi Bidzhiev's side is expected to showcase their usual solid defensive performance.
Makhachkala has not conceded more than one goal in 9 of their last 11 official home matches. Moreover, they have kept clean sheets in 6 games during this period. Notably, in the last RPL round, the club scored more than one goal for the first time in 13 previous home matches in the Premier League and Russian Cup.
CSKA has been rotating their squad in the national cup, which has negatively impacted their scoring ability. The Army Men have scored just three goals in their last 7 away games in this tournament, failing to score in 5 of those matches. I do not anticipate a scoring surge against Makhachkala's strong defense.
My prediction: Total under 2.5 goals
