Mogilev vs Novopolotsk

The opening period ended goalless as both sides shook off pre-season rust, with Mogilev goaltender Alexander Osipov and Novopolotsk's Georgy Anarkulov untroubled for long stretches.

The deadlock broke 17 seconds into the second period. Forward Danila Gapeyev found the net to give Mogilev a 1-0 lead, catching the Novopolotsk defence flat-footed off the restart.

Novopolotsk responded inside six minutes. Ilya Krylovich levelled the scores at 1-1 at 5:40 of the middle frame, restoring parity before the second intermission.

The decisive moment arrived at 18:07 of the third period. Defenseman Dmitry Znakharenko fired home what proved to be the winner, giving Mogilev a 2-1 advantage they would not relinquish.

Znakharenko's goal with under two minutes of regulation remaining left Novopolotsk no time to mount a response. The 23-year-old Belarusian blueliner stepped up from the point to convert, punishing a defensive lapse as Novopolotsk pressed forward in search of a go-ahead goal. The late strike denied the visitors what would have been a respectable draw on the road.

Dmitry Znakharenko (Mogilev) — The game-winner in the 58th minute was the highlight, but the defenseman also logged steady minutes on the top pairing alongside Sergei Mozhaev.

Danila Gapeyev (Mogilev) — Opened the scoring with a quick strike to start the second period and caused problems for the Novopolotsk defence throughout.

Alexander Osipov (Mogilev, G) — Made the saves when it mattered in the third period, including a key stop after Znakharenko's goal as Novopolotsk pushed for a late equaliser.

Ilya Krylovich (Novopolotsk) — Scored the visitors' only goal and was one of the more dangerous forwards, linking well with the fourth line.

The period-by-period breakdown (0-0, 1-1, 1-0) tells the story of a cagey affair that opened up in the middle frame. The goalless first period suggests both teams were feeling their way into the game, typical of a pre-season friendly on 24 July with the Belarusian Extraliga season still several weeks away. Mogilev's ability to score early in the second period and late in the third shows a side that managed the game's key moments, while Novopolotsk's reply within six minutes of falling behind indicates resilience. The 2-1 scoreline is consistent with the historical pattern — 84% of meetings between these sides have seen both teams score.

The result gives Mogilev a confidence-building win in pre-season preparation for the 2026-27 Belarusian Extraliga campaign. Novopolotsk, who won the reverse fixture 7-1 in February's Extraliga season, will take positives from a competitive performance but will want to sharpen their finishing before competitive action resumes. The two sides have met 50 times since 2017 across all competitions, with Novopolotsk holding a 27-22 edge in wins (one draw).

A typical pre-season friendly decided by a single moment of quality in the closing stages. Mogilev will be the happier side, having controlled the key moments, but both teams are still building towards full match sharpness. Znakharenko's winner provided the only real separation between two evenly matched Belarusian outfits.

Match details sourced from the official provider payload and bookmaker-ratings.ru match centre.