The Matchday 6 clash in the Russian Premier League between Rubin and Spartak will take place on August 23 at the Ak Bars Arena in Kazan. Rubin vs. Spartak: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Rubin
Rashid Rakhimov's side bounced back from a heavy defeat to CSKA by defeating Rostov 1-0 at home in the last round. Notably, the team kept a clean sheet for the first time in four league matches, extending their scoring streak to 13 games. Rubin has avoided defeat in 5 of their last 6 Premier League matches (4 wins, 1 draw), and with 10 points, they currently sit fourth in the standings. However, they have conceded 8 goals, more than any other team in the top half of the table.
- The team has scored at least two goals in 5 of their last 7 Premier League matches.
- At home, Rubin has won 9 of their last 10 league matches (1 draw).
- In 9 of their last 11 home games in the Premier League, they have not conceded more than one goal.
Predicted lineup for Rubin (4-4-2)
Evgeny Staver – Yegor Teslenko, Igor Vujacic, Alexey Gritsaenko, Dmitry Kabutov – Veldin Hodja, Ugochukwu Iwu, Alexander Yukich, Bogdan Yochich – Dardan Shabanhadzhai, Mirland Daku.
Defender Denil Maldonado will miss the match due to injury.
Spartak
The Moscow club shared the spoils with Zenit in a 2-2 draw at home in the last round. Dejan Stankovic's side has not won in their last four Premier League matches (2 draws, 2 losses). This is Spartak's longest winless run since the start of the 2023/24 season. Additionally, they have conceded at least two goals in 3 of these 4 matches, with a total of 10 goals conceded, second only to Sochi (15). Spartak currently sits 10th in the standings.
- No more than two goals have been scored in 4 of Spartak's last 5 away Premier League matches.
- Away from home, the team has avoided defeat in 6 of their last 8 league matches (3 wins, 3 draws).
- Spartak has scored against Rubin in 7 of their last 9 Premier League encounters.
Predicted lineup for Spartak (3-5-2)
Alexander Maksimenko – Srdjan Babic, Daniil Denisov, Alexis Duarte – Nail Umyarov, Ezequiel Barco, Christopher Martins, Gedson Fernandes, Ruslan Litvinov – Marquinhos, Manfred Ugalde.
Forward Theo Bongonda is injured. Defender Ilya Samoshnikov has joined the team.
Referee
Rafael Shafeev (Russia)
Matches – 9 (RPL, 2024/25 - 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 30;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.3;
Red cards shown – 3;
Average fouls per match – 24;
Penalties – 33%.
Match Prediction: Rubin vs. Spartak
Rubin managed a victory in the last round with just one goal. Their scoring streak in the league now spans 13 matches. However, they have kept a clean sheet only four times in this period. I expect another high-scoring encounter for Rashid Rakhimov's side. Spartak's matches in this championship have also been rich in goals.
The Moscow club has only kept a clean sheet in the first round. Since then, they have conceded 10 goals in 4 matches, with their xGA ranking fifth from the bottom. However, Dejan Stankovic's side has a decent attacking potential, scoring 13 times in their last 7 Premier League games, and finding the net in 11 of their last 14 away matches in this tournament.
Both teams have scored in 7 of the last 9 encounters at Rubin's ground in the Premier League. I expect both sides to score again. My prediction: Both teams to score – yes
