Shinnik — Neftekhimik : Match Preview and Prediction for October 15,2025

Shinnik’s Recent Struggles and Cup Ambitions

“Shinnik” has struggled to recover from their away defeat against “SKA-Khabarovsk” (1-3), subsequently losing at home to “Fakel” (0-1).While the setback against “SKA” could be attributed to a grueling trip to the Far East, the loss to “Fakel” might have been impacted by the crucial absence of Oleg Lanin. However, these are merely potential justifications. The results are clear, positioning them in tenth place in the FNL standings.In the previous round of the cup, the hosts faced no difficulties with “Cherepovets”, dominating them with a 4-1 victory. Naturally, “Shinnik” is motivated to surpass their performance from last year, when they reached the playoff stage of the Path of Regions but ultimately lost narrowly to “Akron” (0-1).

Neftekhimik’s Form and Cup Motivation

“Neftekhimik” was, until very recently, on an impressive six-match unbeaten run across all competitions. However, four days ago, they surprisingly suffered a home defeat to the league’s lowest-ranked team, “Chaika” (2-3).The visitors haven’t had the best start to October; in addition to that loss, they previously drew with “Rotor” (0-0). This might signal the beginning of a dip in form, which was arguably inevitable after such a productive September. Following an unexpected 1-5 defeat by “Rodina”, “Neftekhimik” secured four wins from their next five matches: “Ural” (1-1), “Yenisey” (1-0), “Volga” (4-1), “Volgar” (1-1, pen.: 4-2), and Tula “Arsenal” (1-0).The guests also possess strong motivation for the Cup. Beyond the natural desire to bring an RPL opponent to Nizhnekamsk, they aim to atone for last year’s early exit, when they were eliminated in the fourth round by “Kompozit” (0-0, pen.: 2-4).