Novyi Urengoy — Ufa: 3:2, Russian Cup

New Urengoy defeated Ufa 3-2 in the Russian Cup on 23 September 2026. The result moves the hosts to the top of the table with six points from three games. Ufa remain second on five points after their third defeat of the campaign.

Both sides entered this fixture with identical records of two wins and one loss. The margin between them was always going to be razor-thin. And here's the thing — cups tend to expose that kind of thinness.

New Urengoy had beaten MGTU Moscow 3-2 on the previous day and followed that with a 3-0 win over Orenburg. Ufa, meanwhile, had taken three points from Orenburg in their most recent outing. The away side also won 3-2 against MGTU Moscow earlier in September.

Our prediction called for a home victory with 57 per cent confidence. To be fair, it was a reasonable call. New Urengoy have won three of their last five matches and carried that momentum into the cup clash.

The result extends New Urengoy's unbeaten run to eight matches across all competitions. Ufa's loss means they cannot close the gap at the top just yet. By then, both teams will be looking at the next round fixtures.