Avtomobilist vs AK Bars Kazan Prediction 29 September 2025
🔊 Yekaterinburg's Avtomobilist are set to host Kazan's Ak Bars on their home ice as part of the KHL regular season. Both top clubs from the Eastern Conference are clearly struggling at the start of the season. The hosts have fully slipped into a slump. Meanwhile, the visitors, after hitting rock bottom emotionally, decided to bolster their roster, and this unexpectedly had an immediate impact.
Head-to-Head
In 2025, the teams clashed in the Gagarin Cup playoffs. In the first round, Ak Bars, through tremendous effort, knocked Avtomobilist out of contention (4-3 in the series). The teams have already faced each other in the current season as well. Just two weeks ago, the club from the capital of Tatarstan suffered a comprehensive home defeat (3-6). That particular debacle prompted the local management to take action.
Head-to-head statistics Avtomobilist - AK Bars Kazan
Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg Team Overview
Nikolay Zavarukhin's squad hasn't met expectations so far. It's not just about the numerous defeats; this roster has the potential to dominate the Eastern Conference, yet they fail to project any real strength. They've suffered four losses in their last five games, including two blowout defeats at home. It's surprising that in such circumstances, Avtomobilist managed to put up a fight against the champions in Yaroslavl, only losing to Lokomotiv in overtime (2-3). Currently, they trail Avangard by five points, and there are reasons to believe that this gap might widen over time.
Match Results: Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg
AK Bars Kazan Team Overview
After suffering four defeats in their first five games of the season, one of the wealthiest clubs in the KHL has taken action-not on the ice, but financially. The Kazan side managed to bring in Alexander Khmelevsky from Salavat Yulaev. The former San Jose forward is considered a bona fide star by local standards and is exactly the type of center with excellent vision and unconventional playmaking skills that Ak Bars were missing. Three wins in their last four games are certainly encouraging and could give the "Bars" a chance to climb back to the top of the conference. The team is clearly improving, and their comeback victory against Metallurg (from 0-3 to 4-3) seems significant.
Match Results: AK Bars Kazan
🏒 Projected Lineups
Avtomobilist: Alikin - Busyghin, Blaker - Kizimov, Da Costa, Boucher
Ak Bars: Bilyalov - Lyamkin, Miller - Barabanov, Semyonov, Alistrov
🥅 Goalkeepers
Avtomobilist's goalie Evgeny Alikin struggled in two consecutive games before being benched against Lokomotiv. However, he remains the team's first-choice and will aim to put up a strong performance at home against Kazan.
Ak Bars' goaltender Timur Bilyalov has maintained a 92% save percentage in two consecutive matches. This is a stark improvement from his previous stats. His presence between the pipes clearly has the potential to inspire his teammates to excel.
Editorial Prediction
The club from Yekaterinburg doesn't strike fear into their opponents. Despite having top talents like Stéphane Da Costa and Reid Boucher, the team lacks effectiveness in the offensive zone. While the Kazan side may not yet be the conference favorites, they've clearly learned from past mistakes and have significantly strengthened with new additions. They're now much better prepared for revenge after the humiliation two weeks ago. Our prediction is a final victory for Ak Bars.No comments
Betting Tips: Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg - AK Bars Kazan
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