Rustavi defeated Spaeri 3-1 in the Round of 16 of the David Kipiani Cup on 1 August 2026. The match went into extra time before Rustavi pulled clear with a second-half strike and a late goal. Spaeri's red card changed the complexion of the game, though they did not fold.
G. Samkharadze gave Rustavi the lead from the spot in the sixth minute. T. Askurava received a yellow card and then a straight red in the thirty-first minute, leaving Spaeri with ten men. By then Rustavi had already established control, and the home side camped in the final third.
Y. Nakano doubled the advantage in the thirty-fourth minute, capitalising on Spaeri's numerical weakness. The game settled into a rhythm Rustavi dictated, with Spaeri unable to regain their shape after the dismissal.
S. Cassie extended the lead in the hundred-and-second minute, keeping Rustavi's heads up as the match wore on. K. Seichas sealed the result in the one hundred and fourteenth minute, and Spaeri's hopes evaporated.
Rustavi registered 158 attacks to Spaeri's 143, while possession favoured the home side 60-40. They recorded eight shots on target against three, and Spaeri's five offsides told of a side searching for structure. Rustavi committed no offsides, a sign of their discipline.
The victory sends Rustavi through to the quarter-finals, while Spaeri's campaign comes to an end. The home side have now faced Spaeri five times in recent months, and this result adds to their record against the visitors.