Shinnik vs Ural

Both sides sit in the top half of an early FNL table. Shinnik Yaroslavl are 8th with 14 points from nine games, while Ural sit just above in 7th on 15 from eight. Neither gap is decisive yet, but this result would carry early weight in the promotion race. Shinnik have been solid but draw-heavy of late, held 2-2 by both Arsenal Tula and Rotor Volgograd, sandwiched around wins over Neftekhimik and Volga Ulyanovsk. Ilia Azyavin has been their sharpest attacker with five goals already this season, alongside forward Ilya Porokhov. Ural arrive in sharper form, winning three of their last five, including back-to-back 3-0 wins over SKA-Khabarovsk and Ufa, with Denis Bokov and Martin Sekulic sharing the scoring load. Historically Ural hold a slight edge in this fixture, with both meetings between the sides last season finishing 1-0. Expect a cagey, tightly matched contest between two teams in similar form. Our prediction: 1-1