Dizel lost 1:3 to Almetievsk in the VHL on Wednesday evening, a result that leaves the hosts rooted to 12th while the visitors climb to seventh. The away side kept their heads after a shaky start and got over the line when it mattered most. By then the pattern was already set.
Both teams enter their second match with zero points on the board, a quirk of the early-season accounting that means the table tells us little beyond who has won. Dizel had taken all three available points against TsSK VVS two days ago before slipping against Kristall Saratov. Almetievsk, meanwhile, have won both outings so far, beating Tambov and Buran Voronezh in succession.
And here's the thing about these opening weekends — form means less than you'd think. The visitors' confidence after back-to-back victories will make life awkward for Dizel going forward. The hosts are now looking to string together more than a single win before the autumn deepens.
To be fair, the visitors will want to build on momentum rather than rest on two results. The gap between seventh and twelfth is still theoretical, but the psychological edge belongs to the side that has won every game they've played.