Akhmat and Krylia draw 3-3 in Premier League thriller
Akhmat Grozny played out a 3-3 draw with Krylia Sovetov at the Akhmat-Arena on Friday evening. The result keeps both sides level on points at the bottom of the table, each carrying six points from six games. To be fair, the match had everything — goals, cards, and substitutions that changed the rhythm. And here's the thing, by then you'd expect the visitors to have done better with what they took.
Krylia opened the scoring through Ivan Oleynikov in the 15th minute, but Akhmat responded quickly. Leci Sadulaev equalised before Eigash Cacintura restored the visitors' lead just two minutes later. Nikolai Chernov then gave Krylia a two-goal cushion with a double strike in the 45th minute and first minute of added time.
The second half brought a different story. Akhmat forced three changes at the break, bringing on Maksim Samorodov, Amin Rahmanovic and Nikolai Rasskazov. Georgii Melkadze pulled one back in the 60th minute, and Oleynikov completed his brace to make it 3-3 in the 72nd minute after a yellow card for Melkadze himself.
The statistics tell a familiar tale of dominance without reward. Akhmat held 70 per cent possession and created more chances, but their expected goals figure of 0.69 contrasts sharply with Krylia's 1.29. The visitors were far more efficient, hitting the target with 73 per cent accuracy compared to Akhmat's 43 per cent.
Both sides received three yellow cards, with Krylia's discipline tested by late bookings for Kirill Pechenin and Denis Makarov. The result means both teams remain in the relegation zone, Akhmat in eighth place and Krylia tenth, separated by nothing in the table.
What stands out isn't the possession statistics or the shots on target. It's how Krylia took their chances when Akhmat had the game by the throat. By then, the hosts had nothing to do all evening, and the visitors were weighing up a move to survive.