Rubin – Spartak M

The first half is likely do be even

On Sunday, 9 March, Rubin will play at home against Spartak. The Red-Whites are about to have a historic streak. The team can win eight games in a row. This was the case only in 2000 under Oleg Romantsev. Spartak finished last season beautifully, but the meeting with Orenburg left a lot of questions. It was a hard-fought victory. Manfred Ugalde and Marquinhos were the two clear heroes. At the same time, the club played against a clear RPL outsider at home, had a numerical advantage and allowed to create chances. Another problem for Dejan Stankovic is the utilisation of newcomers. So far, Levi Garcia and Pablo Solari are not in the starting line-up. There is no place for them on the pitch in the main formation. Daniel Hlusevic is bored in the reserves. The situation is becoming difficult for the atmosphere in the locker room. There are also no injuries. Stankovic couldn't count only on Mikhail Ignatov in the first meeting. The midfielder is hardly ever on the pitch in RPL matches as it is. Rubin has no big tasks in the Russian championship. The team has secured its survival and will probably focus more on the Cup. Kazan did not fail in the first match - they lost to Akhmat away in a tight contest. Mirlind Daku continues to surprise with perfect statistics. The striker marked a goal in Grozny. Rubin continues to play a strict 5-4-1 scheme, which is transformed into a more attacking one against opponents from the second eight. Interestingly, with such a closed formation, Rubin's defence is not among the best in xG. In other words, the club is not a bottom club for the bookmakers. An important factor is the play of goalkeeper Evgeny Staver. Rubin's goalkeeper has even earned a spot on the extended list of the Russian national team. In the first round, Spartak just faced a classic defensive opponent, playing Rashid Rakhimov's team. Rubin almost succeeded, even provoking a penalty, but still conceded from the penalty spot. Importantly, the Kazans were able to contain Manfred Ugalde. Rubin has not so long ago defeated Spartak. The last success was in April 2022. Then it was possible to win with a score of 1:0. After that, the Kazans conceded nine goals in four matches. Spartak is now slightly overvalued by bookmakers. The first game was difficult. Rubin is a much more dangerous opponent than Orenburg. Spartak will face an echeloned defence. In the first half, the hosts are unlikely to think about attack at all. Bookmakers believe that it will be hard for Kazan to avoid defeat - we can disagree. Even Orenburg defended zeros - Rubin definitely have more chances.