The Matchday 1 clash in the Russian Premier League between Akhmat and Rubin will take place on July 20 at the Akhmat Arena in Grozny. Akhmat vs. Rubin: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Akhmat
The team finished 14th in the last Russian Championship, landing in the relegation playoff zone. In the playoffs, Akhmat faced Ural. In the first leg away, the Grozny side lost 1-2, after which head coach Sergey Tashuev resigned. In the return match, the players rallied and secured a 2-0 victory, retaining their place in the Premier League. Notably, in last season's home games, only Fakel (5) scored fewer goals than Akhmat (16). Despite this, the team scored in 7 of their last 8 home games in the RPL. In the offseason, the club played two friendlies, drawing with Dynamo Moscow (1-1) and defeating Krylia Sovetov (1-0).
This summer, Alexander Storozhuk became the team's head coach. The club parted ways with midfielder Bernard Berisha. However, they welcomed back striker Mohamed Konate and signed midfielder Egas Cacintura and forward Brian Mansilla. Cacintura will miss the upcoming match due to a suspension from the last round of the previous season.
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No more than two goals have been scored in 5 of the last 7 head-to-head meetings at Akhmat's stadium in the RPL.
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The team is unbeaten in their last seven home matches in the Premier League (3 wins, 4 draws).
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In 4 of Akhmat's last 5 league games, both teams scored at least once.
Predicted lineup for Akhmat (4-4-2)
Vadim Ulyanov – Turpal-Ali Ibisev, Darko Todorovic, Maxim Sidorov, Milos Shatara – Amin Talal, Lechi Sadulaev, Maxim Samorodov, Manuel Kelyanu – Georgy Melkadze, Brian Mansilla.
Rubin
Rashid Rakhimov's side finished last season in seventh place in the RPL standings. Towards the end of the championship, the team had a six-match winless streak on the road (1 draw, 5 losses). However, the Kazan team scored in their last eight RPL games, with forward Mirlind Daku finishing second in the scoring race in the previous Premier League season (15 goals). Before the season started, the club played four friendlies, remaining unbeaten (2 wins, 2 draws).
In the offseason, Rubin's squad saw minimal changes.
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In 7 of their last 8 away matches in the Premier League, the club scored at least once.
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In 5 of Rubin's last 6 RPL matches, both teams scored.
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At least three goals were scored in 7 of Kazan's last 8 away games in the Russian Championship.
Predicted lineup for Rubin (4-4-2)
Evgeny Staver – Yegor Teslenko, Igor Vujacic, Alexey Gritsaenko, Dmitry Kabutov – Veldin Hodja, Nikola Cumic, Ugochukwu Iwu, Bogdan Jochich – Marvin Chuni, Mirlind Daku.
Referee
Ivan Abrosimov (Russia)
Matches – 11 (RPL, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 42;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.8;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 26;
Penalties – 18%.
Match Prediction for Akhmat vs. Rubin
Akhmat consistently shows a productive game: in 7 of their last 8 home matches in the RPL, the team scored. However, their defense often fails – they conceded in 9 of their last 11 home games in the league. It's also worth noting that both teams scored in 7 of the last 10 head-to-head meetings in Grozny within the Premier League.
Rubin continues to play open football – the team scored in 7 of their last 8 away matches in the national championship. However, Kazan's defense has serious issues: they conceded in their last ten RPL games. Additionally, it's noteworthy that the club managed to retain forward Mirlind Daku in the offseason, who scored 15 goals in the last Premier League season. I believe the Albanian can make his mark in the upcoming match.
My prediction: Both teams to score – yes
