Taste from the Cup: Karpin vs Semak and the Moscow Derby

This week, the Russian Football Cup enters a crucial stage. The group stage of the RPL is behind us, which means that the matches of the 1/4 finals of the upper bracket are waiting for us. At least two of the four signs have the prefix "top". For more information about the upcoming cup matches between the teams of the elite Russian division, see the Izvestia article.

Orenburg – Krasnodar

The RPL Road playoffs will begin in Orenburg, where the reigning Russian champion will arrive. However, this status still does not make Krasnodar the clear favorite of the confrontation with Orenburg. Last season showed that the Bulls don't have much strength to fight on two fronts. Yes, they became national champions for the first time in their history, but in the Russian Cup they were eliminated by Akhmat Grozny in the second stage of the quarterfinals of the Path of the Regions (1:2).

Now it's a new season and a new story. Krasnodar is in the lead in the championship standings and after winning the last league draw, it is quite reasonable to set a more ambitious goal — the "golden double": to win both the championship and the national cup.

Krasnodar won their group at the previous stage, with Dynamo Moscow, Krylia Sovetov and Sochi. In six matches, the Bulls scored four wins in regular time and one more in a penalty shootout.

As for Orenburg, to some extent it created a small sensation. In the RPL, things are not going well for the team, which was led by Ildar Akhmetzyanov in October (11 points and 14th place in the play-off zone), but in the cup everything was very good. Unless, of course, we put aside the devastating 0:6 from Zenit in the final round. Becoming the first after Zenit in a quartet with strong Rubin and Akhmat is a serious achievement for a team like Orenburg. And this factor will certainly motivate the team to compete for victory in the confrontation with Krasnodar. Moreover, there will also be a return match on November 26. However, already in Krasnodar. So it's better to try to create a foundation now, before it's too late.

Fight with the Bulls: Krasnodar beat Spartak with two disposals

The Southern club retained its leadership in the RPL, Loko lost the first match in the current championship.

Dynamo Makhachkala – CSKA

Makhachkala had a very good group stage, scoring the same number of points (13) as Spartak, which became the first. Rostov and Paris NN remained behind the team of Hasanbi Bijiyev.

But, of course, Dynamo from Makhachkala had no luck with their opponent. CSKA is the current winner of the Russian Cup, and also one of the leaders of the current championship draw (second place after 14 rounds). Fabio Celestini's players left behind Lokomotiv, Baltika and Akron in the group.

Historically, the Army team runs a good cup campaign, so a relegation in the first round of the playoffs can be a big sensation. But it seems that CSKA will cope with Makhachkala.

Zenit – Dynamo Moscow

The first of two posters with the prefix "top". By the will of fate (and the calendar) Zenit and Dynamo Moscow will meet for the second and third time in a month.

On October 26, the "dress rehearsal" of the Russian Cup playoffs took place within the framework of the RPL championship. Zenit hosted Dynamo at Gazprom Arena, missed first, but then scored twice and brought it to victory (2:1).

In November, the teams will meet two more times, this time in the Russian Cup. And it is far from a fact that Zenit will easily pass Dynamo in this confrontation. Valery Karpin's team is not very successful in the championship: 17 points after 14 rounds and only eighth place. For the season, the team is tasked with taking the trophy. It doesn't matter which one. But, given the current position of the blue and white in the RPL, it seems that the chances of taking the national cup from Dynamo are much higher. So much for the motivation to go through Zenit. And Karpin himself seems to find it easier to focus on the Russian Cup. Failure on both fronts can seriously affect the future of the head coach, who combines work at the club and the Russian national team.

Zenit also has its own intrigue. The matches with Dynamo (as well as all the remaining games in the 2025 championship) can be fateful for the striker of the St. Petersburg club Alexander Sobolev. So far, he has not particularly impressed the coaching staff, Sergei Semak openly declares that today Sobolev is not the second or even the third choice for the position of center forward, and Dynamo Makhachkala has already thought about renting Alexander. So if he wants to stay at Zenit, he needs to prove his worth in St. Petersburg here and now.

"There are good foreign players in the championship, young Russians are appearing"

Former football player of Lokomotiv and the Russian national team Taras Burlak — about the scandalous dismissal of the head coach of the Railwaymen, his career and Glushakov's farewell match

Spartak – Lokomotiv

On a separate day, the Spartak-Lokomotiv Moscow derby took place in the playoffs of the Russian Cup RPL. For dessert, so to speak.

It is possible that their confrontations will turn out to be even more spectacular and emotional than Zenit and Dynamo. Both teams will definitely not mind going as far as possible in the cup to compete for victory.

Both Spartak and Loko scored 13 points in their respective groups. But there is a caveat. The red-and-whites became the first, beating Dynamo in personal meetings, but the Railwaymen passed ahead of their neighbors from CSKA, losing both matches to them.

To whom, but Dejan Stankovic definitely needs to cling to any chance, be it a victory in the national cup or a place in the top 3 of the RPL at the end of the season. He is dismissed almost every day, so every mistake can be fatal.

Mikhail Galaktionov's team is a little easier in this regard. There's not much pressure, and the team is already playing good football. And this is with a Russian backbone! The Railwaymen will definitely put up a fight against Zenit, Krasnodar and CSKA, but they definitely won't give up the cup just like that.

I have no doubt that there will be a lot of fire in the Spartak–Lokomotiv pair. There is no clear favorite in this confrontation. All the more interesting.

Match schedule of the 1/4 finals of the Russian Cup playoffs (RPL Way)

Orenburg vs Krasnodar (November 5, 16:00; second leg — November 26)

Dynamo Makhachkala – CSKA Moscow (November 5, 18:15; second leg — November 26)

Zenit vs Dynamo Moscow (November 5, 20:30; return leg — November 27)

Spartak vs Lokomotiv (November 6, 19:30; return leg — November 26)