Sokol Saratov vs Neftekhimik

Neftekhimik cruised to a commanding 3-0 away victory over Sokol Saratov in Round 25 of the Russian First League, with Islam Mashukov stealing the show at the Lokomotiv Stadium. The forward needed just five minutes to open the scoring, setting the tone for a dominant display. Mashukov doubled his tally on 23 minutes to send the visitors into the break with a comfortable two-goal cushion. Sokol offered little in response and saw Vladislav Lazarev booked on 54 minutes as frustration crept in. Andrey Nikitin completed the rout four minutes from time, putting the seal on a thoroughly convincing performance from Neftekhimik. The result strengthens Neftekhimik's grip on a top-eight spot, while Sokol remain rooted to 18th on just 16 points — their third consecutive defeat piling further pressure on the Saratov side's survival hopes.