The 33rd round of the 2025/2026 Pari League season continued on Friday, May 8, with three matches shaping the race for promotion and the battle against relegation. The day's outcomes provided clarity at both ends of the table, confirming the dominance of the leading pack and highlighting the precarious position of the bottom clubs.
In the day's first fixture, Chernomorets secured a valuable away victory, defeating Chayka 2-0. This result further deepens Chayka's relegation worries, as they remain mired in the drop zone with just 22 points. For Chernomorets, the three points are a crucial step in their campaign, though they remain outside the top positions.
The match between Fakel and SKA-Khabarovsk ended in a goalless stalemate. While a point keeps Fakel firmly in the automatic promotion places, the draw represents a missed opportunity to seize sole leadership of the division. SKA-Khabarovsk, meanwhile, will view the clean sheet away from home as a positive defensive performance.
The most significant result of the round came from Moscow, where Rodina claimed a comfortable 2-0 home victory over Chelyabinsk. This win is monumental for the club's promotion ambitions. With this result, Rodina has now accumulated 65 points from their 35 league matches this season.
This points haul places Rodina at the very summit of the First League standings. They are locked in a tight battle at the top, as Fakel also sits on 65 points, though Rodina holds the advantage on other tie-breaking criteria. The gap to third-placed Ural is now a significant seven points, with Ural on 58 points after their own matches.
Further down the table, Rotor occupies the fourth spot with 52 points, positioning them as contenders for the playoff places. The fight for survival, however, tells a different story. Ufa, with 31 points, sits just above the relegation playoff zone, while Chayka and Sokol are both stranded on 22 points, facing an almost impossible task to climb to safety in the remaining fixtures.
The results from May 8 have thus reinforced the status quo at the top, with Rodina and Fakel pulling away from the pack. The title race and the two automatic promotion spots appear to be a two-horse contest between these Moscow and Voronezh clubs. Below them, the battle for the final playoff spot and the desperate struggle to avoid the drop will continue to unfold in the coming weeks of this compelling Pari League season.
Based on reporting from Чемпионат.com.
