The Matchday 1 clash of the 2025/26 FONBET Russian Cup between Rostov and Spartak will take place on July 30 at the Rostov Arena. Rostov vs. Spartak: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Rostov
Last season, Rostov finished second in Group B. The team remained unbeaten in regular time in 5 out of 6 matches (3 wins, 2 draws), but conceded 7 goals. Among all playoff participants, only Dynamo Moscow had a worse defensive record (13). Rostov reached their third national Cup final but failed to win the trophy for the second time. Notably, Rostov has not lost in regular time in 6 of their last 8 Russian Cup matches, securing 4 victories.
- At least one opponent failed to score in 7 of Rostov's last 9 Russian Cup matches.
- The team scored exactly 1 or 2 goals in 6 of their last 7 home games in this tournament.
- The club has not conceded more than one goal at home in their last 11 Russian Cup matches.
Predicted lineup for Rostov (4-3-3)
Rustam Yatimov – Viktor Melekhin, Ilya Vakhania, Dmitry Chistyakov, Andrey Langovich – Konstantin Kuchaev, Kirill Shchetinin, Danila Prokhin – Yegor Golenkov, Timur Suleymanov, Ivan Komarov.
Defender Umar Sako and forward Ronaldo are injured.
Spartak
In the previous tournament, the Moscow club won Group A, securing 5 victories in regular time. With 14 goals scored, Spartak was the third-highest scoring team among all group stage participants. Their journey in the RPL Path ended at the first playoff stage after facing Rostov. However, in the lower Russian Cup bracket, the Moscow team reached the final but once again lost to Rostov. Spartak last won the national Cup in the 2021/22 season.
- At least three goals were scored in Spartak's last 5 Russian Cup matches.
- In 10 of their last 11 matches in this tournament, the team conceded at least one goal.
- The Moscow team lost 4 of their last 5 away matches in the national Cup (1 win).
Predicted lineup for Spartak (3-4-3)
Aleksandr Maksimenko – Ricardo Mangas, Daniil Denisov, Srdjan Babic – Nail Umyarov, Ezequiel Barco, Christopher Martins, Ruslan Litvinov – Anton Zabolotny, Pablo Solari, Marquinhos.
Forward Theo Bongonda is injured.
Referee
Evgeny Bulanov (Russia)
Matches – 8 (Russian Cup, 2023/24 - 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 36;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.5;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 25;
Penalties – 100%.
Rostov vs. Spartak: Match Prediction
For the second consecutive season, the draw pairs these opponents in the Russian Cup. Spartak does not have fond memories of past encounters, having lost all three matches to Rostov and conceding 5 goals. Now, the Moscow club faces another challenging opponent, with Dejan Stankovic's side playing away. In away matches in the national Cup, the team has struggled, losing 4 of their last 5. Additionally, the club's results at the start of the RPL have been mixed: a narrow victory over Dynamo Makhachkala and a heavy defeat to Baltika.
Rostov started the new RPL season with two defeats, but the opponents were of high caliber. Even against Zenit and Dynamo Moscow, the team performed well. At home in the Russian Cup, Rostov has not lost in 9 of their last 10 matches (7 wins, 2 draws), scoring 17 goals in this period. I believe the hosts will achieve a positive outcome in the upcoming match.
My prediction: Rostov to score and not lose
