Akhmat secured a commanding 4–1 victory over Rostov in Matchweek 5 of the Russian Premier League. The match was played at the Akhmat Arena in Grozny on 22 August.

 

Akhmat forward Georgy Melkadze scored twice, while defender Turpal-Ali Ibishev and midfielder Lechi Sadulayev also found the net. Sadulayev additionally provided two assists.

 

Akhmat head coach Stanislav Cherchesov answered questions from journalists at the post-match press conference.

 

— We wanted to start the match on the front foot, and we scored a good early goal. After that, however, we drifted away from the kind of football we wanted to play. Although it is impossible to dominate for the entire match, we conceded space and surrendered the initiative to our opponents, and they took advantage of it. At half-time, we discussed what needed to change and how we should approach the second half. From the opening minutes of the second half, I had a clear idea of what needed to be changed. As the match progressed, we brought on fresh players who strengthened our performance and helped us see the game through to victory.

 

— For the second match in succession, the team have opened the scoring with an early goal. Would you say that this works in your favour?

 

— Nobody knows in advance how things will unfold. We are obviously pleased when it happens, but we then need to build on that advantage. Against Fakel, we played the entire first half as planned, whereas today we did not. Perhaps the weather was more humid today, which prevented us from playing at the same tempo.

 

— Did Rostov surprise you in any way today?

 

— They did not surprise us, just as we did not surprise them, for that matter. Everything we had prepared for was evident in their play: they are disciplined, they drop back, they like to press and pose a threat from set pieces. Our matches against Rostov are always fiercely contested, but today it ended 4–1. We can only be pleased with that, particularly because Rostov had been producing some good performances before playing us.

 

— Has the team now fully switched to a system with three centre-backs?

 

— That is how we start matches, but we then make adjustments. It can be difficult to establish a rhythm against Rostov, and sometimes you have to mirror their system. At 1–1, we had to change our shape and take risks. I do not particularly like playing with this system myself, but as you can see, sometimes I have to go against my own preferences.

 

— How useful is Ibishev under this system, both as a centre-back and, in a different formation, as a midfielder?

 

— Whenever possible, I always try to ensure that every player can operate in several positions so that we can change our system without making a substitution. I am pleased that Ibishev is scoring and helping the team. I hope he receives another call-up to the Russian national team.

 

— How important was it to win on such a significant day for the republic?

 

— Victory is always important, but it was particularly important today, on the 75th anniversary of the birth of the great historical figure Akhmat-Haji Kadyrov. On the eve of the match, we visited the museum dedicated to him, and we were deeply impressed by the scale of his personality and legacy. On this special occasion, we wanted to achieve a positive result and bring joy to the people of the republic. We are delighted that we were able to make the entire Chechen nation happy on this day.

 

Akhmat vs Rostov 4–1  (1–1)

 

22 August 2026. Kick-off: 18:00

Venue: Akhmat Arena, Grozny. Attendance: 3,906

Weather: Clear, 27°C

 

Match officials: Bobrovsky (Saint Petersburg), Gavrilin (Vladimir), Semyonov (Petrozavodsk)

VAR: Zhabchenko (Krasnodar), Moskalev (Voronezh)

 

Akhmat: Ulyanov, Ibishev, Tsake, N’Dong, Bogosavac, Adamov (Sidorov, 54), Ismael (Sidibe, 77), Keliano (Shchetinin, 54), Sadulayev (Kasadzhikov, 84), Kasinthura, Melkadze (Maksuti, 77).

Head coach: Stanislav Cherchesov

 

Rostov: Yatimov, Sako (Shantaliy, 84), Nogueira, Langovich, Melekhin, Mironov (Prokhin, 70), Komarov (Golenkov, 70), Kuchayev (Shamonin, 84), Olusegun, Mikhaylov (Aznaurov, 76), Suleymanov.

Head coach: Jonathan Alba

 

Goals: Melkadze 5′ (1–0), Suleymanov 40′ (1–1), Melkadze 59′ (2–1), Ibishev 68′ (3–1), Sadulayev 78′ (4–1).

 

Yellow cards: Sako 55′, Kuchayev 57′.