Almaz came away with a 3:4 victory against Academy Mikhailov U20 in a club friendly on Tuesday evening. The match finished on 2026-08-19 with the visitors taking all three points from the encounter. It was a high-scoring affair that delivered more goals than most friendly fixtures tend to produce.
The hosts had started their summer preparations with a 5:4 win over Krylya Sovetov Moscow just a week earlier. Before that, they had been involved in a string of matches against Spartak, winning one and losing three of those encounters. And here's the thing — Academy's recent form has been uneven at best.
Almaz arrived with a 4:1 triumph over Metallurg Cherepovets on their most recent outing. They had also suffered a narrow 2:3 defeat to Sakhalin Sharks shortly before that. By then, the away side had already played several matches this season, including heavy defeats against Lokomotiv and Dynamo Moscow.
The away team's recent results suggest they have been competitive in some fixtures but vulnerable in others. A 2:7 loss to Lokomotiv and a 0:3 defeat to Dynamo Moscow showed they can struggle against stronger opposition. To be fair, the friendly format allows both sides to test different approaches without pressure.
What this match tells us is that Academy Mikhailov U20 can score freely but may have defensive concerns. Almaz demonstrated they can find goals away from home while also conceding regularly. The table goes out of the window in these games, but both teams showed attacking intent throughout.