Daku Strike Earns Rubin Kazan Narrow Win at Baltika

Mirlind Daku was the difference as FK Rubin Kazan edged FK Baltika Kaliningrad 1–0 in their RFPL regular-season clash on 2 May 2026, with the visitors capitalising on a decisive first-half moment.

The only goal arrived in the 29th minute. Rubin broke the deadlock when Nazmi Gripshi created the opening and laid on the assist for Daku, who finished to put the away side 1–0 up. That strike ultimately proved enough to settle the contest, with Baltika unable to find a response.

RFPL FINISHED

2026-05-02 13:30

FK Baltika Kaliningrad

0 - 1

FK Rubin Kazan

Matchday 28 REGULAR_SEASON

Baltika head coach turned to his bench immediately after the interval, making a double substitution at half-time as Nikolai Titkov and Ivan Belikov replaced Andrey Mendel and Maksim Petrov. Further attacking changes followed on 62 minutes, with Tenton Yenne and Vladislav Pospelov coming on for Ilya Petrov and Yuriy Kovalev, underlining the hosts’ attempt to chase an equaliser.

Rubin, meanwhile, refreshed their attacking options as well. Gripshi made way for Ruslan Bezrukov on 63 minutes, while Daku and Ilya Rozhkov were replaced by Jacques Siwe and Daler Kuzyaev in the 79th minute to help see out the result. Late on, Nikita Lobov and Veldin Hodža were substituted for Aleksey Gritsaenko and Daniil Kuznetsov.

The second half was punctuated by a series of cards. Rozhkov received a yellow for Rubin in the 47th minute, followed by caution for Baltika’s Kovalev just before the hour. The hosts’ task became significantly harder in the 76th minute when Eldar Čivić was shown a red card. In added time, Titkov and Rubin’s Ignacio Saavedra were both booked.

Rubin held firm with their numerical advantage to secure all three points away from home. More detailed statistical data and minute-by-minute play descriptions for this match were not available at the time of writing.

For more on the RFPL and full match context, visit the RFPL page on Ballaxy or the match centre: Baltika vs Rubin Kazan.

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RFPL Standings

Season: 2025/26

#	Team	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Form
1	FK Krasnodar	28	19	6	3	56	21	35	63	W W W D D
2	FK Zenit Sankt-Petersburg	28	18	8	2	50	18	32	62	W W D W D
3	FK Lokomotiv Moskva	28	13	11	4	52	36	16	50	D L D W D
4	FK Spartak Moskva	28	14	6	8	45	38	7	48	L W L W D
5	FK Baltika Kaliningrad	28	11	13	4	37	18	19	46	L L D D D
6	PFC CSKA Moskva	28	13	6	9	39	31	8	45	L D D D L
7	FK Rubin Kazan	28	11	9	8	26	26	0	42	W D W D D
8	FK Dinamo Moskva	28	10	9	9	47	38	9	39	D W L D W
9	RFK Akhmat Grozny	28	9	8	11	33	37	-4	35	W L D L D
10	FK Rostov	28	7	9	12	22	30	-8	30	W L D L D
11	PFK Krylya Sovetov Samara	28	7	8	13	31	48	-17	29	W W L D D
12	FK Akron Tolyatti	28	6	9	13	33	46	-13	27	L W D D L
13	FK Orenburg	28	6	8	14	28	41	-13	26	L W W L D
14	FK Dinamo Makhachkala	28	5	9	14	18	36	-18	24	L L D L D
15	FK Nizhny Novgorod	28	6	4	18	23	46	-23	22	L L L D D
16	PFK Sochi	28	6	3	19	27	57	-30	21	W L W W W