Match Report
In the standings it was Zhemchuzhina Sochi 9th on 54 points, Mordovia Saransk 7th on 55 — separated by 1. The last five rounds placed Zhemchuzhina Sochi no better than 13th for form, against 9th in the standings. Scoring rates set the scale: Zhemchuzhina Sochi 1.16 scored and 1.16 conceded per game, Mordovia Saransk 1.38 and 1.08, with the league averaging 1.13.
Mordovia Saransk came in having won three on the spin, having scored in 6 consecutive games. Zhemchuzhina Sochi had banked 7 of the last 15 points on offer; Mordovia Saransk, 13.
Stadion FGUP Yugsport in Sochi, capacity 21,107, hosted the game. Half-time and full-time told different stories: Zhemchuzhina Sochi led 1-0 at the break, before 2 more goals closed it at 2-1.
Goal scorers
Zhemchuzhina Sochi: Maksim Demenko (43'), Vladislav Ryzhkov (59') · Mordovia Saransk: Kirill Panchenko (51')