The second leg of the Russian Cup 2025/26 RPL Path quarter-final between Lokomotiv and Spartak will take place on November 26 at the RZD Arena in Moscow. The first match ended 3-1 in favor of Spartak. Lokomotiv vs. Spartak: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Lokomotiv
Mikhail Galaktionov's team suffered a 1-3 defeat in the first match. This is only the second loss for the team in regular time in the current Russian Cup campaign (4 wins, 1 draw). Notably, Lokomotiv has not conceded more than two goals in this tournament since March 2022. To advance to the RPL Path semi-finals, the club needs a big win, but the last time the Railwaymen thrashed Spartak at an official level was in the 2006/07 season.
- The team has conceded in 12 of their last 15 games in the national cup.
- At home in this tournament, Lokomotiv has not lost in regular time in 11 of their last 13 matches (9 wins, 2 draws).
- At least one opponent failed to score in 5 of the last 6 home games of the Railwaymen in the Russian Cup.
Projected lineup for Lokomotiv (4-5-1)
Daniil Veselov – Cristian Ramirez, Gerzino Nyamsi, Alexander Silyanov, Sestra Montes – Danil Prutsev, Zelimkhan Bakaev, Alexey Batrakov, Artem Timofeev, Dmitry Barinov – Nikolay Komlichenko.
Defender Evgeny Morozov is injured.
Spartak
The victory in the last match marked Spartak's third consecutive win in the Russian Cup. However, the team conceded in all matches during this period. Moreover, the club has failed to keep a clean sheet in 7 of their last 9 games in this tournament. Spartak will secure a place in the RPL Path semi-finals even with a narrow loss. If Spartak loses by exactly two goals, a penalty shootout will ensue.
- The capital club has scored at least twice in 4 of their last 5 matches in the national cup.
- Away, the team has won 7 of their last 8 matches in the Russian Cup (1 loss).
- In 9 of their last 12 away matches in this tournament, Spartak has not conceded more than one goal.
Projected lineup for Spartak (4-3-3)
Ilya Pomazun – Alexander Djiku, Daniil Denisov, Christopher Wu, Igor Dmitriev – Nail Umyarov, Gedson Fernandes, Ezequiel Barco – Pablo Solari, Levi Garcia, Marquinhos.
Injured players include defender Srdjan Babic, midfielder Danil Zorin, and forwards Theo Bongonda and Levi Garcia.
Referee
Aleksey Sukhoi (Russia)
Matches – 8 (Russian Cup, 2023/24 - 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 28;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.5;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 29;
Penalties – 25%.
Lokomotiv vs. Spartak: Match Prediction
The previous match confirmed that Spartak is an uncomfortable opponent for the Railwaymen. Lokomotiv has won only 2 of the last 10 official head-to-head meetings (1 draw, 7 losses), conceding in all matches during this period. However, they have scored against their city rivals in 8 matches over the same period. Given the outcome of the first game, Mikhail Galaktionov's side will need to focus on attack. It's worth noting that Lokomotiv is the top-scoring team in the RPL 2025/26 and has also scored the most in their Russian Cup group.
Spartak, with a comfortable lead, can play more conservatively. The team will have chances, and their high conversion rate could allow them to catch the Railwaymen on the counter-attack. Spartak's scoring streak in the Premier League and the national cup stands at 21 matches. In the latter, Spartak has scored at least twice in 5 of their last 7 matches. However, Vadim Romanov's team will find it challenging to keep a clean sheet. The recent RPL match against CSKA was only their second clean sheet in their last 9 official games.
Additionally, both teams have scored in the last 7 official meetings. This is another factor in favor of the prediction: Both teams to score – yes
