The Matchday 5 clash in the Russian Cup 2025/26 between Rubin and Zenit will take place on September 30 at the Ak Bars Arena in Kazan. Rubin vs. Zenit: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Rubin
In the previous round, Rubin suffered a defeat away to Orenburg. The match ended goalless in regular time, but Orenburg was more accurate in the penalty shootout (2:4). The team has only one victory in their last seven national Cup matches (2 draws and 4 losses in regular time). Additionally, Rashid Rakhimov's side has failed to score in three consecutive games in this tournament. In Group A, Rubin is in third place, but they can no longer catch up with the leading Zenit.
- At least one team failed to score in Rubin's last 15 Russian Cup matches.
- Rubin has not lost in regular time in 5 of their last 7 home matches in the national Cup (3 wins and 2 draws).
- In their last 11 home games in this tournament, Rubin has not conceded more than one goal.
Predicted lineup for Rubin (4-5-1)
Artur Nigmatullin – Anderson Arroyo, Nikita Lobov, Egor Teslenko, Konstantin Nizhegorodov – Aleksandar Jukic, Marat Apshacev, Oleg Ivanov, Ruslan Bezrukov, Nikola Cumic – Jacques Sive.
Defenders Denil Maldonado and Alexey Gritsaenko are injured. Midfielder Nikola Cumic is suspended.
Zenit
Sergey Semak's team secured the top spot in Group A after their victory over Akhmat in the previous round (2:1). Zenit has won all four matches in the current Russian Cup campaign, but they have only kept a clean sheet in one of these matches. Moreover, Zenit has scored at least two goals in each of these games. In fact, the team has scored at least twice in 6 of their last 7 national Cup matches.
- Zenit opened the scoring in 15 of their last 16 matches in this tournament.
- Zenit has won 5 of their last 6 away matches in the Russian Cup (1 loss).
- Zenit has conceded in 5 of their last 7 away matches in the national Cup.
Predicted lineup for Zenit (4-3-3)
Evgeny Latyshonok – Arsen Adamov, Nuraly Alip, Roman Vega, Strahinja Erakovic – Alexander Erokhin, Yuni Gorshkov, Yaroslav Mikhailov – Alexander Sobolev, Luis Enrique, Vadim Shilov.
Defender Vyacheslav Karavaev is injured.
Referee
Vladislav Tselovalnikov (Russia)
Matches – 6 (RPL and Russian Cup, 2024/25 - 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 24;
Average yellow cards per match – 4;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 26;
Penalties – 33%.
Match Prediction for Rubin vs. Zenit
Sergey Semak's side was the first to secure a playoff spot. Among all group stage participants, only Zenit has not dropped any points, but I don't think the team will stop there. Zenit is starting to gain form, and each success will boost the players' confidence. The club has a 9-match unbeaten streak at the official level, including a victory over Krasnodar and a draw with Baltika. Moreover, in the national Cup, Zenit has not lost in 9 of their last 10 away matches (7 wins and 2 draws in regular time).
Rubin, on the other hand, has regressed compared to the start of the season. The team has only one win in their last 7 matches in the RPL and Russian Cup (3 draws, 3 losses). In the second most important tournament, Rashid Rakhimov's side still has a chance to advance from the group, but earning points against Zenit will be challenging. Rubin has not defeated Zenit in 6 official head-to-head meetings, conceding at least two goals in 5 of those games.
My prediction: Zenit will not lose and Total over 1.5 goals
