Voronezh Fakel claimed a 3-0 victory over Sochi in the 20th round of the Russian Premier League, with the win unfolding on home soil in Voronezh on March 18. The match saw Fakel take control from early on and convert their opportunities as the game progressed, leaving the visitors overcome by a staunch defensive display and accurate finishing.
Georgiy Gongadze opened the scoring from a penalty in the 34th minute, followed by Ruslan Magal capitalizing in the 73rd minute and Evgeniy Markov sealing the result with a goal in the 79th. Fakel’s efficiency in the final third was the decisive factor, as the home side firmly established their dominance and converted three chances to put the result beyond doubt.
Sochi faced additional troubles late in the game when Georgy Melkadze picked up two yellow cards for disputing the referee, resulting in a red card and leaving the team a man down from the 80th minute onward. The numerical disadvantage compounded their efforts as Fakel pressed to extend their lead and control the tempo of the match through the closing stages.
Fakel finally tasted league victory again, the first since September 11, 2022, when they defeated Lokomotiv Moscow 2-0 at home. Under the guidance of Dmitry Pyatibratov, Fakel collected three more points to move onto 17 in the standings, placing them 14th in the Russian Championship table. This result represented a meaningful step for the club as they continue to build consistency in a competitive league campaign and work toward climbing the table in the second half of the season.
Sochi arrived at the match after a heavy 0-4 defeat to Orenburg in the 19th round, leaving them with 28 points and occupying the ninth spot in the table. The setback extended a recent winless run, and the team will be aiming to rebound quickly as the campaign progresses, with the squad needing to manage results against upcoming opponents to stabilize their position and push toward European qualification or higher domestic standing in a challenging schedule ahead.
Looking ahead, Fakel was scheduled to host CSKA Moscow on April 2, while Sochi prepared to travel to Moscow to face Dynamo on the same day, with the 21st round following the national team break. The upcoming fixtures carried significance for both clubs as they sought to translate a strong performance into continued momentum and a favorable ladder position during the final stretch of the season.
Meanwhile, Dmitry Vorobyov, the former Orenburg striker, commented on the 20th-week victory by noting how the result felt like a meaningful revenge after the season’s earlier setback against Zenit St. Petersburg. Vorobyov expressed a desire to bring the level of performance shown in this match to other games, underscoring the competitive hunger within Fakel and the ambition to translate regional success into broader recognition within Russian football.