Akhmat secured a 2–0 home victory over Rubin in the 3rd round of the Russian Cup group stage.

 

The Grozny side struck twice in the first half. In the 5th minute, Lechi Sadulaev opened the scoring with an assist from Rizvan Utsiev, while in the 27th minute, Georgy Melkadze doubled the lead after being set up by Darko Todorović.

 

Akhmat head coach Stanislav Cherchesov answered questions from journalists at the post-match press conference:

 

 

— We needed this win today to stay in the cup race. We played the first half exactly as we had planned. In the second half we more or less continued in the same way, although at times we allowed the opponent to take the initiative. Overall, I congratulated the boys on the victory. Now we’re preparing for the match against Rostov.

 

— Ibishev once again played as a holding midfielder. Is that because of a lack of players in this position?

 

— No, it’s not about that. I’ve taken a closer look at Turpal-Ali, and I think it’s very important for a player to find his best position. He’s improving with every game, and I wouldn’t be surprised if next time he gets called up to the national team as a defensive midfielder. I usually like to help players develop a second position, so they always have a place in the squad. Players of a certain level should be able to cover multiple roles. As you can see, we’ve strengthened the squad without making a transfer.

 

— What can you say about Manuel Keliano’s condition?

 

— He had no pain today. We still have a few days before the match against Rostov, and we hope he’ll be fit and available.

 

— Next is the match against Rostov. How do you feel about those tough away trips to the south of the country?

 

— I’ve travelled across the Caucasus by bus plenty of times, just like everyone else. We’re used to it.

 

— How do you explain the turnaround in the second half of the previous match against Orenburg?

 

— We made some adjustments, and credit to the players for managing to turn that game around.

 

 

Akhmat vs Rubin 2–0 (2–0)

August 26, 2025. Kick-off: 20:45

Akhmat Arena, Grozny. Attendance: 5,673

Weather: Clear, +23°C

 

Referees: Kukulyak (Kaluga), Mosyakin (Moscow), Kalinichenko (Perm)

VAR: Ivanov (Rostov-on-Don), Frolov (Moscow)

 

Akhmat: Ulyanov, Zare, Ndong, Todorović, Utsiev, Ismael, Ibishev, Kasinthura (Gaibov, 87), Sadulaev (Gadzhiev, 77), Mansilla (Konaté, 61), Melkadze (Samorodov, 61)

Head coach: Stanislav Cherchesov

 

Rubin: Nigmatullin, Gritsaenko, Chumich, Teslenko (Vujačić, 46), Ivanov, Zotov (Ivu, 46), Bezrukov, Jukic, Rozhkov (Kabutov, 66), Mukba (Khodzha, 72), Shabanhadzhaj (Daku, 46)

Head coach: Rashid Rakhimov

 

Goals: Sadulaev 5’ (1–0), Melkadze 27’ (2–0)

 

Yellow cards: Ismael (84), Ndong (90) – Zotov (13), Ivu (62), Kabutov (70)