Spartak Moscow has punched their ticket to the Russian Cup final for the first time since 2022, following a hard-fought 1-0 victory over rivals CSKA in the Regions Path final of the Fonbet Russian Cup for the 2025/2026 season.
The narrow win sees the red-and-whites advance to the tournament's showpiece event, ending a four-year wait for a return to the final. Their last appearance in the decisive match came in 2022, when they lifted the trophy by defeating Dynamo Moscow 2-1.
This season's Russian Cup features a split format, dividing teams into a Regions Path and an RPL Path. Spartak's triumph secures their spot from the Regions Path, while the RPL Path final will be contested between Dynamo Moscow and Krasnodar. The first leg of that tie ended in a 0-0 stalemate.
The current holders of the Russian Cup are CSKA Moscow. The army club claimed the title last season by overcoming Rostov in a final that also finished goalless after regular time, with CSKA ultimately prevailing 4-3 in a penalty shootout.
Spartak's victory over CSKA not only avenges their city rivals' recent success but also marks a significant step in their own cup campaign. The team will now await the outcome of the RPL Path final to learn their opponent in the overall Russian Cup final.
Based on reporting from Чемпионат.com.
