CSKA incurred a penalty.
The Group stage of the FONBET Russian Cup among Russian Premier League (RPL) clubs is well underway, and the second round has seen some exciting matches. One of the most notable was the clash between St. Petersburg's Zenit and Kazan's Rubin.
In a surprising turn of events, Rubin emerged victorious, defeating Zenit 3-0. This win has propelled Rubin to the top of Group A, with six points to their name. On the other hand, Zenit, who had players from the Russian national team and foreign legionnaires on the bench, struggled to find their usual creativity in attack during the match.
Meanwhile, in Group D, the match between CSKA and Akron was a tense affair, with both teams vying for the leadership. The regular season's wealthiest and most powerful club in Russian football, CSKA, had a recent draw with Akron, but it was in the penalty shootout that Akron truly seized the victory. CSKA's goalkeeper, Vladislav Torop, was unable to bring the team to victory, and the penalty shootout loss has left CSKA's position in Group D unclear.
Akron's win over CSKA means they now lead Group D with five points, while CSKA finds itself in a less favourable position. However, the exact standings for Group D after this match are yet to be found in the search results. For the most accurate and up-to-date standings, live official Russian Cup sources or updated detailed tables would need to be consulted.
The 17-year-old debutant for Rubin, whose name is not specified, scored the third goal for Rubin, finishing a cross from Pedro. Mateo Cassierra, another Rubin player, also shone, scoring two goals for the team. One was a goal from a loose ball in the box, and the other came from a penalty.
Interestingly, this was the first defeat for Fabio Capello as the main coach of CSKA. The match between CSKA and Akron was also a significant one for CSKA, as they used a wide rotation of the starting lineup for the first time in the season.
In another Group D match, CSKA's rival, Akron, defeated CSKA in a 1:1 draw, followed by a 4:5 loss in the penalty shootout. Maxim Gorshkov's goal for CSKA was disallowed for offside.
The matches were photographed by Alexander Korjakov. The Russian Cup 2025/2026 live scores and standings are available on flashscore.in, but without direct access to the standings for Group D after that particular match.
As the Group stage progresses, the competition remains fierce, with Group D currently being the toughest in the preliminary stage, with all teams in the top part of the championship table. Rubin's victory over Zenit and Akron's win over CSKA have shaken up the standings, and the race for the top spot in each group is heating up.
In the realm of Russian football, Rubin's impressive 3-0 victory over Zenit in the Group stage of the FONBET Russian Cup has catapulted them to the top of Group A, while Zenit, with their loss, have found it challenging to maintain their usual dominance, especially with their international players underperforming. On another note, Akron's win over CSKA in a thrilling penalty shootout has placed them at the helm of Group D, causing uncertainty in CSKA's position. The Group stage isshowing no signs of slowing down, with the competition in Group D remaining exceptionally tough.
