Sive rescued it late, Daku chases Dominguez: how Rubin survived against Akron

      Rubin drew with Akron in the 9th-round RPL match

      Igor Vujacic played against Akron, although he initially wasn't supposed to

      A few days before the match with Akron (2:2), Rubin head coach Rashid Rakhimov shared unwelcome news with journalists. Due to injury, key central defender Igor Vujacic was supposed to miss the game against the Togliatti side. In addition, another Rubin defender, Aleksey Gritsaenko, had health problems.

      With his appearance and words, Rashid Rakhimov made it clear that he would experiment in the center of defense against the Togliatti team. It was expected that Anderson Arroyo and Nikita Lobov would join Egor Teslenko in the back line.

      Arroyo did indeed come in for Gritsaenko. But Lobov did not appear in the match against Akron. Igor Vujacic, on his sturdy legs, started the game from the first minute.

      It is hard to say what caused Rakhimov’s peculiar “deception.” Perhaps the miracle hands of Rubin’s medical staff prepared Vujacic in time for the Akron match. Or maybe it was all a clever bluff by Rashid Rakhimov to deliberately unsettle the Togliatti players shortly before the game.

      Rubin looked better in the first half, and Akron could have been down to ten men as early as the 17th minute

      Rubin began the match like hosts, taking control of possession. Last RPL season, only Voronezh’s Fakel were worse than the Kazan team in this aspect. Rashid Rakhimov’s side have never been known for loving possession for its own sake, and the head coach himself has repeatedly stated that he does not approve of possession simply for possession’s sake. According to Rakhimov, there should always be a purpose behind the ball movement. But from the first minutes, the Togliatti team themselves abandoned playing as the first side, so it was logical that the Kazan players used the initiative.

      By the number of dangerous chances, Rubin was better in the opening hour. The Kazan players executed set pieces well. After one of them, Anderson Arroyo had a gilt-edged scoring opportunity but shot wide from close range. Interestingly, the Colombian was originally registered for the Akron game as the third central defender. However, during the match Arroyo moved to the left flank, as if swapping positions with Ilya Rozhkov.

      Akron’s first goal in the 37th minute did not follow the match’s logic. One of Togliatti’s few attacks ended with an impressive finish by forward Dmitry Pestryakov. Kristijan Bistrovic’s second goal early in the second half was fairly chaotic and came with a bit of luck.

      Overall, the first 50 minutes felt like a cruel twist of fate for Rubin. Properly speaking, the Togliatti side should have been down to ten men already in the 17th minute. Akron defender Marat Bokoev twice committed rough fouls against Rubin players. For the first foul on Daku, referee Vladimir Moskalev gave Bokoev a yellow card, but for the careless step on Dmitry Kabutov’s foot he chose to forgive, apparently not wanting to break the game when not even a quarter of the match had passed. Nevertheless, had Moskalev sent Bokoev off, no one would have questioned the decision.

      Daku’s and Sive’s goals gave Rubin one point in Samara

      Under Rashid Rakhimov, Rubin always improves in the second halves, regardless of how they may be losing. Last season the Kazan club led the RPL in comeback wins.

      Against Akron, Rubin managed to save themselves and escape defeat from 0:2 down. First, in the 54th minute, a beautiful goal was created by Mirlind Daku. For the Albanian, that goal is already his eighth in the championship. This season Daku has every chance to break the scoring records of Alexander Bukharov and Alejandro Dominguez. Both players scored 16 goals in a single season in 2009. Daku has eight goals in nine matches. At this rate he could surpass Bukharov’s and Dominguez’s achievements as early as March 2026.

      Mirlind Daku had an unremarkable first half. The striker did not have enough chances to score. He was angry at himself and at his teammates. He was often distracted, which several times provoked the open ire of Rashid Rakhimov. But in the second half Daku still found his goal, which erased the unpleasant impression from his first-half performance.

      “How is Daku? Everything’s fine. After his grandfather’s death there was a positive event — he got married. But he signed a prenuptial agreement, maybe that’s why he’s upset (laughs),” Rakhimov joked after the match.

      Daku could easily have been substituted in the second half because of his pale performance, but Rashid Rakhimov did not change him. Dardan Shabanhadjaj came off the bench to replace Alexander Yukich. The Austrian, in the trio of forwards with Sive and Daku, played a bit deeper in a playmaker role. However, during the match Shabanhadjaj frequently pushed forward, transforming Rubin’s three-forward formation into an attacking setup.

      The first goal for the Kazan club yesterday was scored by newcomer Jacques Sive. Rubin signed the Frenchman on the final day of the transfer window. The forward, who arrived from Ligue 2, had a solid game against Akron. He fought a lot, was constantly aiming to shoot, and was strong in the air. Strikers like him are to Rashid Rakhimov’s liking, so Sive will likely start again in the coming games.

      “You noticed how much he fights, how he tracks back, how he opens up forward. He still needs to settle in, understand some moments; we need a pause to work with him on the forward interactions, when to open up, when to do it for the ball. His size and work rate are positive qualities,” Rashid Rakhimov assessed Sive’s performance against Akron.

      Photo: fcakron.ru

      More news about the event:

      Sive rescued the ending, Daku chases Dominguez: how Rubin saved themselves against Akron

      Rubin drew with Akron in the 9th RPL round

      Igor Vujacic played against Akron, 09:07 21.09.2025 Tatar-inform - Kazan

      Ivanov on Daku’s wedding: “He hides the ring like Frodo from The Lord of the Rings”

      Rubin captain Oleg Ivanov commented on Kazan forward Mirlind Daku’s marriage. 21:33 20.09.2025 Business Online - Kazan

      “Did we buy Messi or Mbappé?”: French newcomer saved Rubin against Akron

      Daku scored emotionlessly — they joke he’s upset because of the prenuptial agreement. 21:33 20.09.2025 Business Online - Kazan

      Daku’s and Sive’s goals helped Rubin snatch a draw against Akron

      Rubin drew 2:2 with Akron in the ninth round of the RPL. During the match the Kazan club trailed 0:2. 19:27 20.09.2025 Tatar-inform - Kazan

      Sive’s goal saved Rubin from defeat to Akron. Kazan have one away win in 2025

      In the 9th round of the Russian championship Rubin drew 2:2 with Akron in Samara. 19:15 20.09.2025 Business Online - Kazan

      Rubin drew with Akron, Daku and Sive scored

      The Kazan side again failed to win on the road.

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      Rubin drew 2:2 with Akron in Samara in the 9th round of the Russian Premier League (RPL). 18:45 20.09.2025 Realnoe Vremya - Kazan

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