The Matchday 1 clash of the FONBET Russian Cup 2025/26 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 of their 6 matches (3 wins, 2 draws), although they conceded 7 goals, a record only bettered by Dynamo Moscow (13) among playoff participants. Rostov reached their third national Cup final but failed to secure the trophy for the second time. Notably, Rostov has not lost in regular time in 6 of their last 8 Russian Cup matches, winning 4.
- 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.
- At home, the club has not conceded more than one goal 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 Schetinin, Danila Prokhin – Yegor Golenkov, Timur Suleymanov, Ivan Komarov.
Defender Umar Sako and forward Ronaldo are injured.
Spartak
In the last tournament, the Moscow club won Group A, securing 5 victories in regular time. With 14 goals, Spartak was the third-highest scoring team in the group stage. Their campaign in the RPL Path ended in the first stage against Rostov. However, in the lower bracket of the Russian Cup, Spartak reached the final but stumbled once more against Rostov. The club 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 games in this tournament, the team conceded at least one goal.
- Spartak 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 has paired these opponents in the Russian Cup. Spartak has unpleasant memories of past encounters, having lost all three matches against Rostov and conceding 5 goals. Now, Spartak faces another challenging match against an uncomfortable opponent, with Dejan Stankovic's team playing away. Their away form in the national Cup has been poor, with 4 losses in their last 5 matches. The club's inconsistent start in the RPL is also noteworthy, with a narrow win over Dynamo Makhachkala and a heavy defeat to Baltika.
Rostov has lost both matches at the start of the new RPL season, but their opponents were of high caliber. Even against Zenit and Dynamo Moscow, the team performed reasonably 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 stretch. I believe the hosts will achieve a positive result in the upcoming match.
Considering these factors, my prediction: Rostov to score and not lose
