The Matchday 23 clash in the Russian Premier League between Fakel and Akhmat will take place on April 5 at the Fakel Stadium in Voronezh. Fakel vs. Akhmat: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Fakel
In the previous round, the team suffered a heavy 0-5 defeat away to Krasnodar, conceding all goals after the break. This was Fakel's biggest loss in the top tier of Russian football since 2001. Additionally, the team has lost five consecutive league matches and extended their goalless streak to six games. In the standings, nothing has changed for the Voronezh side – they remain in second-to-last place with 14 points. Notably, Fakel has scored the fewest goals in the current RPL season, with just 11.
- The club has not won in their last seven home games in the Premier League (5 draws, 2 losses).
- The team has scored a maximum of one goal in their last ten home league matches.
- Exactly one or two goals have been scored in Fakel's last five home matches in the RPL.
Predicted lineup for Fakel (4-5-1)
Vitaly Gudiev – Sergey Bozhin, Max Dziov, Ryan Senhadji, Dylan Mertens – Irakli Kvekveskiri, Ilnur Alshin, Irakli Kvekveskiri, Alexander Lomovitsky, Vyacheslav Yakimov – Vladimir Ilyin.
Notably, the club's head coach Dmitry Pyatibratov has left, and Igor Shalimov has taken over. Additionally, the team will be without home support as the match will be played behind closed doors.
Akhmat
In the previous round, Sergey Tashuev's side drew 0-0 at home with Spartak. As a result, Akhmat managed to avoid defeat in six consecutive league matches (2 wins, 4 draws) – the club's longest unbeaten run in the RPL since 2022. Furthermore, the club kept a clean sheet for only the second time in their last 15 Premier League matches. The Grozny side has collected 19 points and remains in 14th place in the standings.
- The team has not won in 10 of their last 11 away matches in the RPL (4 draws, 6 losses).
- Both teams scored in 5 of Akhmat's last 7 away league matches.
- The Grozny side conceded at least two goals in 5 of their last 7 away league matches.
Predicted lineup for Akhmat (4-4-2)
Giorgi Shelia – Darko Todorovic, Nader Ghandri, Turpal-Ali Ibishev, Arsen Adamov – Ismael Silva, Lechi Sadulaev, Daniil Utkin, Maxim Samorodov – Amin Talal, Georgy Melkadze.
Referee
Ivan Abrosimov (Russia)
Matches – 7 (RPL, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 26;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.7;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 14%.
Fakel vs. Akhmat: Match Prediction
The Voronezh side often plays defensively at home in an attempt to earn points. This style of play does not lead to high-scoring matches: in their last ten home league games, Fakel has not scored more than one goal. Moreover, in six of those games, the team did not score at all. However, they also concede few goals: in 8 of their last 9 home RPL matches, Fakel has not conceded more than one goal, with only Zenit managing to score twice during this period.
Akhmat does not always perform well in away games, particularly struggling in attack. In 9 of their last 11 away Premier League matches, the Grozny side has been limited to one goal, failing to score in six of those matches. Additionally, in their previous head-to-head encounter at Fakel's ground, Akhmat also failed to score.
I do not see how the teams will produce a high-scoring match, so I expect a low-scoring game. My prediction: Total under 2.5 goals
* The starting lineup for each team is based on their previous match in this tournament.
