Saturday, March 1, was an eventful day in Armenian football. Matches in the Armenian Premier League took place, the Russian Premier League kicked off, and several Armenian players were involved in games across Europe.
San Martín - Belgrano 3:1
The morning began with a brilliant assist from Lucas Zelarayán in distant Argentina. Belgrano lost 1:3 to San Martín. Zelarayán played the full match and received a SofaScore rating of 8.0. In addition to his assist, the 32-year-old Armenian registered six key passes.
Pari NN - Akron 2:1
Next, Artur Galoyan provided an assist—his first goal contribution of the season for Akron. He helped Artem Dzyuba score his 233rd career goal, tying Alexander Kerzhakov as the top-scoring Russian player. Galoyan delivered a corner kick, which Dzyuba converted with a header. However, Pari NN secured a 2:1 victory.
Valery Tsarukyan entered the match for Pari NN in the 80th minute, while Galoyan came on for Akron in the 59th. Besides his assist, Galoyan recorded two key passes.
Kaiserslautern - Jahn Regensburg 3:0
Good news: Kaiserslautern striker Grant-Leon Ranos recovered from injury and made his debut for his new club against Sargis Adamyan's team.
Ranos entered in the 77th minute as an attacking midfielder. He had few touches but avoided misplaced passes. Meanwhile, Adamyan, playing for Jahn Regensburg, was active—over 83 minutes, he nearly scored with a header in the first half, only to be denied by the goalkeeper. He also provided five key passes and earned a SofaScore rating of 7.1.
Van - Alashkert 1:1
Pyunik - Ararat-Armenia 1:2
A scandal unfolded in the Armenian league as both matches were on the verge of being abandoned. Fans stormed the pitch, demanding the resignation of Armenian Football Federation President Armen Melikbekyan, who is running for a UEFA Executive Committee position.
The match in Charentsavan was interrupted for 30 minutes, while the Pyunik vs. Ararat-Armenia game was halted for over an hour. The police intervened to restore order, detaining the most active protesters.
On the sporting side, Van captain Karen Nalbandyan registered his sixth assist of the season, while Ararat-Armenia strikers Eric Okansi and Yenne Tenton played crucial roles in both goals against their arch-rivals. Even Pyunik's experienced defensive duo of Taron Voskanyan and Varazdat Haroyan—who recently returned to the club—couldn’t prevent defeat.
Universitatea Cluj - Botoșani 0:1
After recovering from injury, Artur Miranyan has been playing less frequently, and Universitatea Cluj has lost its top spot in the Romanian league, now trailing Universitatea Craiova by one point. Miranyan came on in the 69th minute and missed a clear chance in the 77th, shooting straight at the goalkeeper from a prime position. SofaScore rating: 6.4.
Slovan Bratislava - Spartak Trnava 0:1
Slovan is now winless in three consecutive matches, and Tigran Barseghyan has also gone three games without a goal. However, he still leads the league's scoring charts with 15 goals. Against Trnava, he was active: nine duels won, two shots on target, two key passes, and eight fouls won. Rating: 7.1.
Diósgyőr - Puskás Akadémia 2:1
Young defender Georgiy Harutyunyan, a Krasnodar academy graduate, is enjoying the best stretch of his career. For the first time, he has played five consecutive full matches. In this game, he made nine clearances, two tackles, and earned a SofaScore rating of 6.5.
Akhmat - Rubin 2:1
Despite Rubin’s defeat, Ugochukwu Iwu had a strong performance: winning 85% of his duels (6 out of 7), completing two successful dribbles, delivering one key pass, making three clearances, one blocked shot, two interceptions, and two tackles. His SofaScore rating of 7.1 is notably high for a losing side.
Universitatea Craiova - Farul 0:1
A tough day for Narek Grigoryan—he won just two of his 11 duels, attempted five dribbles but failed each time. SofaScore rating: 6.0.
Krasnodar - Krylia Sovetov 1:1
The biggest setback of the day was Eduard Spertsyan’s injury just before Armenia’s national team matches against Georgia. In the 71st minute, he suffered a heavy blow to his shin and had to be helped off the pitch. Krasnodar missed the chance to retain first place, allowing Zenit to overtake them on goal difference.
Osijek - Slaven 1:2
Stepan Mkrtchyan entered in the 85th minute to help Osijek avoid defeat. Despite being a defender, he excels in aerial duels, but this time, he couldn’t turn the tide. Still, he won two aerial battles.
Inter - Napoli 1:1
Another match where an Armenian player’s team fought for the league lead. In Serie A’s headline game, Inter and Napoli played to a draw, with Inter maintaining their one-point lead at the top. Henrikh Mkhitaryan was, as usual, reliable in midfield, played 80 minutes, and received a SofaScore rating of 7.3.