Russian Cup Showdown: CSKA Moscow Hosts Akron Tolyatti in Crucial Group Stage Clash

Match Background & Qualification Scenarios

The Russian Cup is an annual knockout football competition, with Premier League teams typically entering at the 1/16 final stage. [3, 19] The 2025-26 Russian Cup commenced on July 29, 2025, and is scheduled to conclude on May 24, 2026. [16] With Russian football clubs currently suspended from UEFA competitions, domestic cup glory has taken on increased significance. [3, 16] This fixture is a crucial Group 4 encounter in the Russian Cup, with CSKA Moscow currently leading the group and Akron Tolyatti sitting in fourth place. [22] CSKA will be looking to secure a home win to consolidate their top spot, while Akron Tolyatti desperately needs points to boost their hopes of advancing to the knockout stages. [22]

Recent Form

CSKA Moscow has shown mixed form in their last five official matches. They suffered a 0-3 defeat to Lokomotiv Moscow on October 18 [30] but secured a 3-2 victory against Spartak Moscow on October 5. [30, 31] Earlier, they lost 0-1 to FK Rostov on September 14 [17], drew 1-1 with FK Krasnodar on August 31 [17], and beat Baltika Kaliningrad 2-0 in the Russian Cup on August 27. [17] Overall, CSKA has recorded 2 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses in their last five outings. [17, 30, 31] Akron Tolyatti has displayed resilience recently, achieving a 1-0 win against Pari Nizhny Novgorod on October 18 [29, 35] and a 1-1 draw with Zenit on October 4. [37] They also drew 2-2 with Rubin Kazan on September 20 [15]. However, they previously lost 1-2 to Krasnodar [15, 17] and 0-2 to Baltika Kaliningrad. [15, 17] Their last five matches reflect 1 win, 2 draws, and 2 losses. [15, 17, 29, 35, 37]

Key Players & Injury News

CSKA Moscow boasts several key players, including forwards Alerrandro and Artem Shumanskiy, midfielders Daniel Ruiz and Matvey Kislyak, and experienced defenders Igor Diveev and Moisés. [10, 28, 32] Legendary goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev remains a pivotal figure at the back. [28, 32] Regarding injuries, midfielder Rodrigo Villagra was dealing with fitness issues in early August and was expected back by early October, while forward Artyom Shumanskiy was also on a recovery path and should have returned by now. [13, 14, 41] Defender Diveev is also expected to have recovered from a bruised leg. [13] For Akron Tolyatti, the offensive efforts are led by top scorer Artem Dzyuba, with Stefan Loncar and Dmitriy Pestryakov contributing significantly with assists and goals from midfield. [36, 43] On defense, Roberto Fernández and Ionuț Nedelcearu are crucial players. [37] There are no significant injury reports for Akron Tolyatti that would impact this match. [20, 42]