Nizhnevartovsk claimed a surprising 3:1 victory over CSKA Moscow in the Russian Cup on Thursday, taking all three points from what looked like a mismatch on paper.
The hosts sit third in the table with two games played, one win and one loss for three points. CSKA Moscow, meanwhile, led the standings with a perfect record — two victories, five points, no defeats.
We had called for a home win before kick-off, putting 59 per cent confidence on Nizhnevartovsk to edge their visitors. Here is the thing — the result vindicated that call, even if the margin felt comfortable rather than close.
CSKA's unbeaten run came to an end, breaking what had been a clean slate of two wins from two. The visitors had beaten Kamaz 3:2 and Energiostroy 3:0 in their previous outings.
Nizhnevartovsk had shown flashes of form recently, drawing 3:1 against Energiostroy before losing 3:1 to Kamaz. This win shifted their position and gave them momentum.
The result leaves CSKA Moscow still top of the table, though now with a single loss to account for. Nizhnevartovsk move closer to the leaders with three points in hand.