Match Report
13 points and 4 places separated them: Arsenal Tula 13th with 39, Sokol Saratov 17th with 26. Sokol Saratov ranked 2nd in the league on five-round form, well above their 17th table position. Against a league average of 1.16 goals per team per game, Arsenal Tula ran at 1.24 scored and 1.29 conceded, Sokol Saratov at 0.47 and 1.29.
Sokol Saratov had been beaten in four straight games.
6 meetings are on record — 4 won by Arsenal Tula, 1 by Sokol Saratov, 1 drawn, at 1.83 goals per meeting. The pattern favours whoever hosts: home teams have won 67% of the meetings. Historically tight: 33% of the meetings went beyond two goals.
The match was played at Stadion Arsenal (capacity 20,074). Arsenal Tula led 2-1 at the break, and the second half added 1 goal for the 3-1 full-time score.
Goal scorers
Arsenal Tula: I. Gorbunov (14'), Ilya Azyavin (16'), Ilya Azyavin (49') · Sokol Saratov: V. Shpitalny (10')
Key stats
Possession: Arsenal Tula 53% · Sokol Saratov 47% · Total shots: 13-6 · On target: 5-3 · Corners: 2-3