FC Krasnodar vs Baltika

Krasnodar took the lead inside the opening five minutes when Juan Boselli found the net, capitalising on some slack defending from the Kaliningrad side. The Uruguayan forward's strike was the only goal of the opening two periods, leaving the hosts 1-0 up at the conventional halftime break (after 70 minutes).

Baltika's task became harder on 34 minutes when forward Chidera Offor was shown a second yellow card and dismissed. Under the friendly format, however, he was replaced by Dmitry Nikitin rather than leaving his side a man short for the remainder of the match.

The game swung further in Krasnodar's favour on 73 minutes when midfielder Alexander Chernikov was also sent off, receiving a straight red card. New signing Christian entered the fray as his replacement.

With the match entering the fourth period and both sides having rotated heavily, the previously dismissed Offor returned to the field and produced a dramatic late equaliser on 115 minutes, salvaging a draw for Baltika.

Offor's return in the fourth period after his earlier red card was the decisive moment. Having been sent off in the first period, his reintroduction — permitted under the agreed friendly rules — gave Baltika a focal point in attack, and he delivered with a composed finish late on to deny Krasnodar the win.

• Chidera Offor (Baltika) — Sent off in the first period, then returned to score the equaliser in the 115th minute. An extraordinary individual contribution that earned his side a draw. Player of the match.
• Juan Boselli (FC Krasnodar) — Took his early chance well to open the scoring and led the line effectively during his time on the pitch.
• Alexander Chernikov (FC Krasnodar) — Solid in midfield before his red card on 73 minutes, but the dismissal disrupted Krasnodar's rhythm.

As a friendly with a non-standard 4 x 35-minute format and rolling substitutions, traditional match statistics carry limited weight. The pattern of the game was clear, however: Krasnodar dominated the opening two periods after Boselli's early goal, but the flow shifted after Chernikov's red card in the third period. Baltika's growing presence in the fourth period culminated in Offor's late strike, making the 1-1 scoreline a fair reflection of the balance of play across the full 140 minutes.

For Krasnodar, this was the final pre-season test before their RPL opener away to Rubin Kazan on 26 July. The draw extends their winless run in friendlies to two matches after the 4-3 loss to Rostov. Baltika, meanwhile, face a tougher start — a trip to CSKA Moscow on 24 July — but will take confidence from their resilience here.

A pre-season friendly that delivered more drama than the format suggested. Offor's journey from red card to match-saver was the standout narrative, while Krasnodar will want to sharpen their cutting edge before competitive action resumes. The 1-1 draw was a fair outcome between two sides still finding their rhythm.

Match details: FC Krasnodar Academy Stadium | Friendly (4 x 35 min) | 19 July 2026