The Matchday 2 clash of the FONBET Russian Cup 2025/26 between Zenit and Rubin will take place on August 12 at the Gazprom Arena in Saint Petersburg. Zenit vs. Rubin: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Zenit
Sergei Semak's team secured a 2-1 away victory over Akhmat in the first round. This win marked their ninth victory in the last 10 Russian Cup matches (1 loss). Notably, Zenit kept a clean sheet in 6 of those games. The team scored at least two goals in 5 of their last 7 national cup encounters. In the Group A standings, the club holds the second position.
- At least one opponent failed to score in 6 of Zenit's last 8 Russian Cup matches.
- The team has a streak of 6 consecutive home wins in this tournament.
- Zenit conceded only one goal in their last 6 home matches in the national cup.
Predicted lineup for Zenit (4-4-2)
Denis Adamov – Arsen Adamov, Nuraly Alip, Roman Vega, Strahinja Erakovic – Wendel, Yuri Gorshkov, Yaroslav Mikhailov, Nikita Lobov – Luciano Gondou, Alexander Sobolev.
Defenders Vanya Drkusic and Nino sustained injuries in the last RPL round.
Rubin
Kazan's team topped Group A after a 2-0 victory over Orenburg in the first round. This win was their first in four Russian Cup matches (1 draw, 2 losses), and Rashid Rakhimov's side had not scored more than one goal in their last 6 games in this tournament. Moreover, Rubin has been defensively solid, conceding no more than one goal in 5 of their last 6 Russian Cup matches.
- No more than two goals were scored in 8 of Rubin's last 9 national cup matches.
- The team lost 9 of their last 11 away games in this tournament (2 wins).
- Rubin conceded first in 6 of their last 8 away Russian Cup matches.
Predicted lineup for Rubin (4-5-1)
Artur Nigmatullin – Alexey Gritsaenko, Konstantin Nizhegorodov, Igor Vujacic, Ilya Rozhkov – Alexander Zotov, Marat Apshatsev, Nikola Cumic, Veldin Hodja, Ruslan Bezrukov – Mirlin Daku.
Referee
Sergey Cheban (Russia)
Matches – 7 (Russian Cup, 2023/24 - 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 25;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.6;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 21;
Penalties – 14%.
Zenit vs. Rubin: Match Prediction
The previous round of the national championship brought unexpected results for both teams. Zenit lost to Akhmat (0-1), while Kazan suffered a heavy defeat to CSKA (1-5). I believe both teams will aim to redeem themselves in the Russian Cup, but Zenit has a better chance of achieving a positive outcome.
Zenit has been impressive at home in the national cup. The team has won 10 of their last 12 home matches in this tournament (2 draws). It's worth noting that Zenit scored at least two goals in 10 matches during this period, including against Rubin in the previous Russian Cup edition.
Rubin rarely wins in the national cup. The victory over Orenburg was only their second in the last seven tournament matches. Additionally, Rubin lost 9 of their last 11 away matches in the Russian Cup. With such statistics, it will be challenging for the team to secure three points against Zenit, who have defeated Kazan in 4 of their last 5 official encounters, scoring a total of 13 goals during this period.
My prediction: Zenit to win and Total Over 1.5 goals
