Atlant beat Spartak 4:1 in a club friendly on Friday, 15 August. The hosts had lost their previous meeting just five days earlier, 5:4, and this time they held their ground. The result extends Atlant's unbeaten run against Spartak to two games.
Spartak arrived in good form, having won their last two friendlies. They beat Amur Tigers 5:4 on Wednesday and Lok-76 3:2 the day before. Atlant's run had been mixed, with only the win over Spartak standing out from their recent string.
The match itself was decided in the opening period, where Atlant took control. Spartak struggled to find their rhythm, and by then the hosts had already built a cushion that proved difficult to overturn. Things came to a head in the second stanza when Spartak pushed forward but found Atlant's defence solid.
What stood out was the contrast with their last encounter. Five days ago Spartak scored five goals; this time they managed just one. The old head in Atlant's backline settled them down after the early pressure, and they kept their side in it when it mattered.
The final score leaves Atlant top of their group in friendlies, while Spartak's unbeaten streak in pre-season comes to an end. The goal difference tells the story: four goals to one, and not much between them after that.