Rotor Volgograd vs Sokol Saratov

Rotor Volgograd made home advantage count in Round 28 of the PARI First League, grinding out a 1-0 victory over rock-bottom Sokol Saratov at Volgograd Arena. A disciplined, no-nonsense display from the hosts proved enough to bank three crucial points. Davyd Davidyan was the man of the moment, slotting home in just the 11th minute to give Rotor an early lead they never looked like surrendering. The second half turned fractious in the bookings column — Sokol collected four yellows in 35 minutes through Batraz Gurtsiev, Nikita Gloydman, Nikita Pechenkin, and Nikolay Poyarkov, while Rotor's Gleb Shilnikov and Aleksandr Kleshchenko were also cautioned. No red cards or penalties changed the picture, though. The result lifts Rotor to 45 points in fifth place, keeping their push for an upper-table finish firmly on track. For Sokol, still anchored to 18th with just 16 points, the situation grows more desperate with each passing week.