Club Friendly· Season 2026
Dinamo Minsk beat Bars Kazan 2–1 in the opening match of the 19th Moscow Mayor's Cup at Megasport Arena, coming from a goal down to seal victory.
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow It Unfolded
Bars Kazan struck first in the opening period, finding the net to take a 1–0 lead into the first intermission. But Dinamo Minsk responded after the break, equalising in the second period and then completing the turnaround with the go-ahead goal in the third period to seal a 2–1 victory.
The match served as the tournament opener at the 12,724-seat Megasport Arena on Khodynskoye Pole, a venue that hosted the 2007 IIHF World Championship.
The Turning Point
Dinamo Minsk's equaliser in the second period shifted the momentum decisively. After weathering Ak Bars' early pressure, the Belarusian side grew into the game and found the net to level the score, leaving Bars Kazan chasing the game heading into the final frame. The third-period winner completed the comeback and gave Dinamo an early advantage in Group A.
Key Performers
Dinamo Minsk's goaltender — kept his team in the game during a tense first period when Bars Kazan held the lead, making key saves to prevent the deficit from growing before his side's response.
Dinamo Minsk's goalscorers — two different players found the net across the second and third periods to overturn the deficit.
Bars Kazan's opening goalscorer — opened the scoring to give his team the early lead, but the home side could not build on the advantage.
What It Means
Dinamo Minsk collect their first win of the pre-season tournament and take an early lead in Group A, with two more group matches to follow on 28–30 August. For Bars Kazan, who were making their debut in the expanded 19th edition of the competition, it is a setback but with plenty of hockey still to play in the round-robin format.
The victory continues Dinamo's strong pre-season form under head coach Sergei Brylin, while Anvar Gatiyatulin's Ak Bars side will look to bounce back in their next group fixture. Dinamo Minsk were silver medalists in the 2025 edition of the tournament, while Ak Bars were appearing for the first time after the field was expanded from four to eight teams.
A notable subplot: former Dinamo Minsk captain Andrei Stas, who joined Ak Bars just over a week ago, featured for Kazan against his former club in what was his second game for his new team.
Verdict
A composed second-half display from Dinamo Minsk, who absorbed early pressure and struck back at the right moments. Bars Kazan will regret not capitalising further on their first-period dominance, but pre-season friendlies at this stage are about building sharpness — and both sides will take positives into the remainder of the tournament.
Match Events
Key match events between Bars Kazan and Dinamo Minsk — 3 goals and 0 cards recorded during the match.
T. Smith
M. Miller
B. Lyle
Rivalry since 2008
Bars Kazan vs Dinamo Minsk Head to Head Results· 47
Bars Kazan and Dinamo Minsk have met 47 times — Bars Kazan won 31, Dinamo Minsk won 16, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2008. Bars Kazan leads the head-to-head with 31 victories from 47 meetings. A combined 268 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 5.70 per match (152 for the home side, 116 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 43 matches (91%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 46 games (98%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. Bars Kazan are currently unbeaten in the last 4 meetings. The highest-scoring encounter finished 3–8 in 2008.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 28 Aug 2026