SKA-Academy took a 3-2 victory over MHC Spartak Makhachkala in the MHL on September 16, 2026. The result completes a clean sweep for the visitors after they had beaten their hosts 3-1 the previous day. It was a match that swung more than once, and here's the thing — you could sense the visitors carried a different edge after yesterday's scoreline.
Spartak had looked competitive in their 2-3 defeat to Dynamo Moscow on August 29, but the visitors' 1-4 loss to Almaz on September 8 had raised questions. To be fair, they answered those quickly with a 2-1 win over the same side on September 7 and a 5-3 victory against Dynamo Moscow on August 28. By then they were building something, even if the form wasn't consistent.
The match itself had moments that stuck with you. Spartak started brightly enough, pressing the visitors early, but SKA-Academy were sharper in transition. The home side had periods where they camped in the attacking zone, but the visitors were more dangerous on the break. It was the kind of game where three or four decisions changed everything, and the rest was just noise.
We had backed Spartak at 50 per cent confidence, but the match went another way. What shifted it was the visitors' willingness to play the second half a man up in spirit — they committed bodies forward when it mattered, and Spartak couldn't match that urgency. The home side gave up possession and hit them on the break more times than we'd have liked to see.
What this means for both sides is worth noting. Spartak now face a run of fixtures that will make life awkward — they're running out of games before the season truly settles. SKA-Academy, meanwhile, have extended their momentum with two wins in a row and will make life awkward for anyone they meet next. The history between them adds an edge to future meetings.