UFÁ, Russia (Interstat) — Two sides seeking their first victory of the season will meet Thursday when FK Ufa hosts Neftekhimik in a Russian Cup group stage match.

The matchup at Neftyanik Stadium pits teams with identical records. Both Ufa and Neftekhimik are 0-0-2 in cup play and 0-0-2 across all competitions this season. Each team has drawn its last two games by a 1-1 scoreline.

Ufa is coming off a 1-1 road draw against FK Enisei Krasnoyarsk on Oct. 15. Defenders Yan Tses and Nikita Bogatyrev, along with midfielder Ivan Zazvonkin, were highlighted as key performers in that result. Ufa also drew 1-1 with FK Fankom on Sept. 24.

Neftekhimik earned a 1-1 draw at Shinnik in its most recent outing on Oct. 15. Forwards Denis Mironov and Ilya Porokhov, and midfielder Nikita Miroshnichenko, were noted as productive players in the match. Their previous result was a 1-1 draw at FK Volgar Astrakhan on Sept. 24.

According to the Interstat game simulator, Ufa holds a slight edge, projecting a 1-0 victory for the home side. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. local time kickoff.