Match Report
On the table this was a mismatch: Spartak Moskva (32nd, 22 pts) held a 15-point advantage over Istra 1961 (467th, 7 pts). Istra 1961 had been over-performing their table position on recent form: 366th in the league over the last five rounds against 467th overall. Scoring rates set the scale: Spartak Moskva 2.5 scored and 0.9 conceded per game, Istra 1961 1.57 and 0.71, with the league averaging 1.75.
Spartak Moskva had not lost in 7 games, having scored in 7 consecutive games. Recent form was uneven: 13/15 points for Spartak Moskva, 4/15 for Istra 1961.
The match was played at Otkrytiye Arena in Moskva (capacity 16,500).


