Tekstilshchik saw off Makhachkala 3:0 in the Russian Cup on Thursday evening at their home ground. The result leaves the hosts three points clear in third place after two league games, while Makhachkala sit bottom with just one point from two matches and now face a third defeat in as many competitions.
By then it was clear the visitors had little to offer. They had lost both league outings - a 0:3 hammering at Tyumen followed by a 2:3 loss to Volzhani Kostroma - and this cup match simply continued the pattern. And here's the thing about a 3:0 scoreline: when a team fails to register even a single shot on target, you know they weren't going to turn it around.
We had backed the home side to win with confidence, and that prediction held up. Tekstilshchik had shown they could finish a job against Tyumen in their most recent league outing, winning 3:0 away from home. To be fair, Makhachkala's away record in the league was already poor, and this cup match offered no reprieve.
The hosts' recent form had been mixed - a 0:3 defeat to Kostroma broken up by that convincing win over Tyumen. But against Makhachkala, who had failed to score in two of their three defeats this season, the attack found its rhythm. Things came to a head early enough that the visitors never really got into the match.
What this means in the table is straightforward. Tekstilshchik move to three points from two games, sitting third in the league standings. Makhachkala remain on one point, having lost all three matches they've played across all competitions this season. The gap between them is now four points, and both teams have played the same number of games.