Lada vs Barys Astana

A tight first period ended goalless, with neither side able to break through in the opening 20 minutes.

The deadlock came 2:39 into the second period. Rasim Shakirov — who scored twice against Salavat Ufa on 18 August — found the net again, putting Lada ahead 1–0 at 22:39. But the lead lasted less than two minutes. Ansar Shaikhmeddenov equalised for Barys at 24:15, restoring parity before the second intermission.

The game looked destined for overtime until the dying stages. With under two minutes remaining in regulation, Semyon Simonov struck for Barys at 58:17, silencing the Ufa-Arena crowd and handing Mikhail Kravets' side their first victory of the tournament.

Simonov's 58:17 goal. Lada had just weathered a Barys push and appeared to have settled into the final minute when the Barys forward found space in the slot and beat the Lada goaltender. With no time left for a response, the 1:42 remaining proved insufficient for Pavel Zubov's team to find an equaliser.

• Semyon Simonov (Barys Astana): Scored the 58th-minute winner, the decisive moment of the match. His finish under pressure gave Barys their only win of the tournament.
• Rasim Shakirov (Lada): Continued his strong pre-season form with his third goal in two games. Scored twice in the 6–3 win over Salavat Ufa and opened the scoring here.
• Ansar Shaikhmeddenov (Barys Astana): Delivered the quick equaliser just 1:36 after Shakirov's opener, preventing Barys from chasing the game.

Player of the Match: Semyon Simonov — for the late winner that decided a tight contest.

The 1–2 scoreline reflects a balanced contest, not a dominant display. Period scores of 0–0, 1–1 and 0–1 underline how tightly matched the sides were across 60 minutes. Barys' two goals came from quick transition plays, while Lada's inability to build on their early second-period lead proved costly.

The H2H record (16-9 in Lada's favour from 25 meetings since 2008) suggests Lada have historically held the edge, but pre-season friendlies often subvert that — especially when both sides rotate heavily.

Barys finished the tournament with one win (against Lada) and two losses (1–4 v Salavat Ufa on 17 Aug; 1–5 v Amur on 18 Aug). Lada end with one win (6–3 v Salavat Ufa on 18 Aug) and one loss (this result), having had a bye on the second matchday. Hosts Salavat Ufa faced Amur later on 20 August in the tournament's closing fixture.

Both teams now turn their attention to KHL pre-season preparation. Lada face Metallurg Magnitogorsk on 26 August, while Barys meet SKA St. Petersburg on 27 August — both friendlies that will offer stiffer tests ahead of the regular season.

A classic pre-season finale: high stakes in a small tournament, a late winner, and mixed takeaways for both sides. Barys earned their first positive result under Kravets, but defensive issues that saw them concede nine goals in their first two games remain a concern. Lada showed flashes of their attacking capability from the Salavat thrashing but failed to sustain it, leaving Zubov with work to do before the KHL campaign begins.