Estonian midfielder Nikita Mihhailov made his debut in the Slovak top division as his club MFK Zemplín Michalovce secured a 1-0 victory over Podbrezova, where fellow Estonian Kevor Palumets plays.
The 23-year-old Mihhailov, who was only recently announced as a new signing, was included in the matchday squad and began the game on the bench. Palumets also started the match among the substitutes.
At the beginning of the second half, Kevor Palumets was introduced from the bench with the score still 0-0. The decisive moment came in the 69th minute, when South Korean midfielder Tar-rang Park scored the only goal of the match for Michalovce.
Mihhailov then made his official debut in the 80th minute, entering the match for the final stages. The former Flora Tallinn player helped his team see out the victory.
The win ended Michalovce’s two-match losing streak, while Podbrezová, after an impressive run at the start of the second part of the season that included five convincing victories by margins of at least three goals, have now suffered defeats in their last two matches.
The game was also the first round in the Championship group, as both Podbrezová and Michalovce finished in the top six during the regular season. After the result, Podbrezova remain fifth in the standings, while Michalovce move closer to them and now trail by four points.
