Match Preview

The 6th round match of the PARI First League (FNL) between Rotor and Torpedo will take place on August 25 at Volgograd Arena. This preview provides an in-depth look at the teams’ current form, key statistics, and a detailed prediction for the encounter.

Rotor Team Analysis

The Volgograd side drew 1-1 away against Sokol in their last match. Denis Boyarintsev’s team has remained undefeated in 4 out of 5 matches in the current championship, securing 2 wins and 2 draws. With 8 points, they currently sit in eighth place in the league table. Notably, Rotor has conceded only 3 goals, with only league leaders Fakel (1) boasting a stronger defense. However, the Volga team leads the league in total yellow cards received, with 18 bookings.

• Rotor has conceded no more than one goal in 14 of their last 15 FNL encounters.
• At home, the Volgograd team has avoided defeat in 11 of their last 13 First League matches (5 wins, 6 draws).
• In 13 of their previous 15 home games in this tournament, Rotor has not scored more than one goal.

Rotor’s Probable Starting Lineup (4-4-2)

Nikita Chagrov – Denis Fomin, Vyacheslav Bardybakhin, Andrei Semenov, Nikolay Pokidyshev – Sergey Makarov, Ilya Safronov, Artem Simonyan, Mikhail Maltsev – Nikita Nikiforov, Alexander Khokhlachev.

Torpedo Team Analysis

The Moscow club secured their first victory of the current championship in the previous round. By defeating Ural, Torpedo broke a 5-match winless streak in the FNL (2 draws, 3 losses). Furthermore, prior to this game, Torpedo had not scored in 3 consecutive First League matches. Thanks to the three points gained, Pavel Kirilchik’s team climbed to 13th place in the league table. It’s worth noting that in the 5th round, the team committed only 7 fouls, significantly below their average of 12.

• The team has scored no more than one goal in 8 of their last 9 First League matches.
• Away from home, Torpedo has remained undefeated in 6 of their last 8 FNL fixtures (5 wins, 1 draw).
• The Muscovites have not conceded in the first half in their last 5 away matches in this tournament.

Torpedo’s Probable Starting Lineup (4-5-1)

Egor Baburin – Sergey Borodin, Ruslan Baytukov, Gleb Shevchenko, Egor Danilkin – Mario Curic, Gulzhigit Alykulov, Artur Galoyan, Kirill Danilin, Alexander Orekhov – Alexander Chupaev.

Referee Overview

Evgeny Galimov (Russia)

Matches officiated – 15 (First League, 2024/25 – 2025/26);

Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 37;

Average yellow cards per match – 2.5;

Red cards shown – 1;

Average fouls per match – 29;

Penalties awarded – 7%.

Match Prediction: Rotor vs Torpedo

It’s hard to say if the coaching changes were the primary reason for Torpedo’s first victory of the season. Nevertheless, it’s notable that the Muscovites managed to contain the attacks of the former league leaders. While some luck was involved, Pavel Kirilchik’s men successfully prevented one of the FNL 2025/26’s most prolific attacking teams from scoring. Overall, the club’s defense has been solid, conceding no more than one goal in 6 of their last 8 away FNL matches, with five clean sheets during this period. However, Torpedo’s attack remains inconsistent, as their goal in the last round was their first in four championship matches.

Rotor’s approach is more predictable. The Volgograd team will be ready for a battle. This intense style of play often frustrates their opponents: in five rounds, the club has allowed only 14 goal-scoring opportunities near their net, conceding just 3 goals. However, Denis Boyarintsev’s squad appears modest in attack, having scored the fewest goals among the teams in the upper half of the league table.

In the last six head-to-head encounters between these teams in the FNL, no more than two goals were scored. This historical trend further supports a prediction for a low-scoring affair. Our forecast is for Total Goals Under 2.