Alashkert and Pyunik played out a 3:3 draw in the Armenian Premier League on Saturday, a result that sees the hosts remain fourth with eight points while the visitors stay top of the table on eighteen. Both sides came into the fixture with similar form, though Pyunik had not tasted defeat in eight games while Alashkert showed resilience with three consecutive draws.
And here's the thing about this one — the opening goal came early, I. Pikis finding the net in the fifth minute to give the home side a lead they would never fully relinquish. To be fair, Pyunik responded with composure, Witi equalising in the twenty-first minute after a period of sustained pressure from the visitors.
The second half began with changes on both sides, and H. Adebayo came on for Alashkert in the forty-sixth minute only to score almost immediately, restoring the lead in the forty-third minute — or rather, the data shows the goal just before the break. The substitution timing suggests a tactical adjustment that paid off, though by then the match had already taken on a certain character.
Pyunik struck back through K. Nalbandyan from the penalty spot in the seventy-fifth minute, a moment that shifted the momentum once more. Then came the late drama, D. J. Massoumou putting Pyunik ahead in the eighty-fourth minute before Pikis grabbed his second goal in stoppage time, the ninety-sixth minute, to salvage a point for Alashkert.
The statistics tell a story of equal possession at fifty per cent each, but Alashkert generated more attacks, one hundred and six compared to eighty-seven for the visitors. Shots were similarly distributed, with the hosts registering eight on target to five for Pyunik, a reflection of the end-to-end nature of the encounter.
After eight rounds, the table shows Pyunik leading with eighteen points and no defeats, while Alashkert sit fourth with fifteen points from four wins and three draws. The result does little to separate the two sides in terms of ambition, but it extends Pyunik's unbeaten run and gives Alashkert something to build on at home.
