Russian Premier Liga rivals Akhmat Grozny and Sochi clashed on Friday in an entertaining 2-2 draw. Sochi went 2-0 up through Dmitry Poloz and Andrey Mostovoy, before late goals from Bernard Berisha and Vladimir Ilyin restored parity.

PFC Sochi flew out of the blocks with a flurry of attacking opportunities. With nine minutes gone they were awarded a penalty when a handball blocked Nikita Burmistrov’s cross. Poloz struck the spot kick firmly down the middle.

Almost immediately from the restart Mostovoy calmly steered a through ball into the bottom corner. Four minutes later Kirill Zaika centred the ball to Burmistrov, who recovered from a sloppy first touch to turn his marker in the six-yard box and scuff a shot onto Evgeniy Gorodov’s near post.

Burmistrov again threatened to extend the lead with a curling sighter from distance, but Gorodov got down low to turn it away. Nikolay Zabolotniy had had little to do bar hold a deflected long-range volley.

With a sweeping counter attack forcing Akhmat’s defence to backpedal, Zaika laid a chance on a plate for Poloz 12 yards out. The first-time shot ended comfortably over the bar.

The opening quarter of an hour of the second half saw a much improved tempo from Akhmat as Oleg Ivanov’s effort was held by Gorodov. With 20 minutes remaining Ravanelli pressured PFC Sochi into conceding possession before feeding Berisha to slam home an emphatic shot.

A minute later Dusan Lagator was caught in possession by Ivanov rampaging forward. Although the Akhmat midfielder was met by a wall of Ivan Novoseltsev and Ibragim Tsallagov, his side didn’t have to wait long for an equaliser.

Odise Roshi pulled a cross back from the byline for Vladimir Ilyin to dart ahead of his marker to turn in from a few yards out. Despite a burst of frantic long-distance pot shots from both sides the score finished level.

Akhmat take on Latvian side Ventspils next, while Sochi have another all-RPL clash against Dynamo Moscow. Both games will take place on Monday 17 February.

PFC Sochi 2-2 Akhmat Grozny
14 February, Belek, Turkey

Goals: Poloz pen (10’), Mostovoy (11’); Berisha (72’), Ilyin (77’)