Match Report
14 points and 8 places separated them: FK Nizjni Novgorod 1st with 28, Rotor Volgograd 9th with 14. Rotor Volgograd had been under-performing their position — 13th on five-round form against 9th in the table. Scoring rates set the scale: FK Nizjni Novgorod 2.73 scored and 1.27 conceded per game, Rotor Volgograd 1.64 and 1.27, with the league averaging 1.35.
FK Nizjni Novgorod had not won in 10 games. Recent form was uneven: 1/15 points for FK Nizjni Novgorod, 8/15 for Rotor Volgograd.
8 previous meetings sit in the GioScore records — FK Nizjni Novgorod 4, draws 1, Rotor Volgograd 3, at 2.63 goals per meeting. 63% of the meetings finished with three goals or more, and both sides scored in 63%.
The venue was Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, with room for 35,000 spectators. Half-time and full-time told different stories: FK Nizjni Novgorod led 3-2 at the break, before 1 more goal closed it at 4-2.
Goal scorers
FK Nizjni Novgorod: Artem Sokolov (32'), Gleb Popolitov (33'), Vyacheslav Grulev (45'), Stanislav Lapinsky (82') · Rotor Volgograd: Émerson (42'), Émerson (45')
Key stats
Possession: FK Nizjni Novgorod 54% · Rotor Volgograd 46% · Total shots: 13-7 · On target: 6-6 · Corners: 7-3