The Matchday 3 clash in the Russian Premier League between Akron and Spartak will take place on August 3 at the Solidarity Samara Arena. Akron vs. Spartak: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Akron
Zaur Tedeev's side delivered an impressive 4-0 away victory against Sochi in the last round. This win not only ended their three-match winless streak in the league (1 draw, 2 losses) but also marked their biggest victory in the RPL. Additionally, the club kept a clean sheet for the first time in their last five Premier League outings. In the standings, Akron is in 2nd place and shares the top spot for goals scored (5) with Lokomotiv.
- The team from Tolyatti has not lost in 5 of their last 7 league games (3 wins, 2 draws).
- At least three goals have been scored in 6 of Akron's last 8 RPL matches.
- Akron has scored in 10 consecutive home games in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Akron (4-5-1)
Vitaly Gudiev – Roberto Fernandez, Ionut Nedelcearu, Marat Bokoev, Konstantich Savichev – Dmitry Pestryakov, Ifet Djakovac, Maxim Boldyrev, Stefan Loncar, Aleksa Djurashovic – Artem Dzyuba.
Midfielder Khetag Khosonov is injured. Forward Saltmurad Bakaev may miss the match due to injury.
Spartak
The Moscow club suffered a 0-3 home defeat to Baltika in the last round. Spartak was hampered by two red cards, managing only three shots on target, their worst performance since at least 2009. Dejan Stankovic's side failed to hit the target even once – the only team to do so in the round. The club's defeat ended a run of three consecutive wins, and with three points, Spartak is now in 10th place in the standings.
- At least one opponent has failed to score in Spartak's last 6 RPL matches.
- The team has not lost in 5 of their last 6 away Premier League games (3 wins, 2 draws).
- Spartak has kept a clean sheet in 7 of their last 10 away league matches.
Predicted lineup for Spartak (4-5-1)
Alexander Maksimenko – Ruslan Litvinov, Daniil Denisov, Alexis Duarte, Srdjan Babic – Nail Umyarov, Ezequiel Barco, Christopher Martins, Pablo Solari, Daniil Khlusevich – Manfred Ugalde.
Forward Theo Bongonda is injured. Midfielder Marquinhos and forward Anton Zabolotny are suspended. Midfielder Gedson Fernandes has joined the squad.
Match Prediction: Akron vs. Spartak
Akron demolished their opponent in the last round, achieving a record victory for themselves. However, it's worth noting that Akron has not struggled with scoring. Zaur Tedeev's team has a nine-match scoring streak in the league, and they have scored in 10 consecutive home RPL games. I believe the club will find ways to threaten Spartak's goal, especially considering the presence of Dzyuba. It's also worth noting that in their last 8 home Premier League games, Akron has kept a clean sheet only twice, including against Fakel, last season's lowest-scoring team.
Spartak received a wake-up call in the last round. The team needs to redeem themselves in the eyes of their fans. I'm confident that Dejan Stankovic's side will spend a lot of time on the attack. Spartak has scored in 9 of their last 12 away RPL matches. However, in their eagerness to create, the club may well concede a counterattack. Notably, Spartak conceded twice in Tolyatti during the last championship.
My prediction: Both teams to score – yes
