Friendlies Clubs· Season 2026
Six-goal friendly thriller at Luzhniki as Edarlin Reyes scores twice including 110th-minute equaliser to secure 3-3 draw between FC Sochi and Arsenal Tula
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow It Unfolded
The match was played in an unusual format: three periods of 45, 60 and 15 minutes, allowing both coaches to test two completely different line-ups.
Sochi took control early. Mikhail Ignatov opened the scoring in the 40th minute, tapping home to give his side a 1-0 lead at the first break. The score remained 1-0 at what would have been the traditional half-time mark — the end of the opening 45-minute period.
The second period (60 minutes) saw both sides rotate heavily. Sochi doubled their lead in the 77th minute when Maksim Kaynov finished off a one-two with Pavel Meleshin to make it 2-0.
Arsenal Tula pulled one back through Reyes in the 90th minute, but Sochi responded almost immediately — Stanislav Topinka restored the two-goal cushion in the 96th minute, making it 3-1.
Arsenal refused to fold. Timur Zhamaletdinov converted a penalty in the 108th minute to cut the deficit to 3-2, and Reyes struck again in the 110th minute to level the scores at 3-3.
The Turning Point
Sochi's failure to see out the second two-goal lead proved decisive. After Topinka made it 3-1 in the 96th minute, the Sochi defence switched off twice inside the final 12 minutes of normal time in the second period. Arsenal's 108th-minute penalty gave them a platform, and Reyes delivered the final blow two minutes later.
Key Performers
Edarlin Reyes (Arsenal Tula) — The Colombian forward scored twice (90', 110') and hit the post late on as he chased a hat-trick. He arrived late to pre-season camp but showed sharp finishing instincts. Clear player of the match.
Timur Zhamaletdinov (Arsenal Tula) — Scored the penalty that sparked the final comeback and caused problems for Sochi's second-string defence after entering in the second period.
Mikhail Ignatov & Maksim Kaynov (FC Sochi) — Ignatov opened the scoring with a well-timed run in the 40th minute; Kaynov made it 2-0 with a clever one-two finish past the Arsenal goalkeeper.
By the Numbers — Interpreted
The final 3-3 scoreline undersells Sochi's dominance in the first period, where they controlled possession and created several chances before Ignatov's opener. Arsenal's two separate line-ups — the first played until the 60th minute, the second took over for the remainder — showed a clear gulf between their starters and the deeper squad. The first XI conceded one goal; the second XI leaked three but scored all three of Arsenal's replies. Reyes (2 goals) and Zhamaletdinov (1) were responsible for all of Arsenal's attacking output in the extended second period.
What It Means
This was Arsenal Tula's third pre-season friendly of the summer. They have now drawn twice (1-1 vs Spartak Kostroma on 21 June and 3-3 against Sochi) and lost once (1-2 vs Volga Ulyanovsk on 17 June). Sochi — relegated from the Russian Premier League to the First League after last season — are still fine-tuning a squad that mixes RPL experience with new arrivals. The two sides are scheduled to meet again in the third round of the 2026/27 First League season in Sochi.
Verdict
A chaotic, entertaining friendly that told both coaches plenty. Sochi have goals in this team but defensive fragilities that carried over from their relegation campaign. Arsenal showed resilience to twice come from two goals down — Reyes looks like a player who could make a difference when the real season starts.
Rivalry since 2019
FC Sochi vs Arsenal Tula Head to Head Results· 8
FC Sochi and Arsenal Tula have met 8 times — FC Sochi won 4, Arsenal Tula won 2, with 2 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2019. FC Sochi leads the head-to-head with 4 victories from 8 meetings. A combined 27 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 3.38 per match (18 for the home side, 9 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 6 matches (75%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 5 games (63%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. FC Sochi are currently unbeaten in the last 5 meetings. The highest-scoring encounter finished 5–1 in 2025.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 27 Jun 2026