The key facts
- The first match at the renovated arena is on November 7 at 5:00 p.m. Moscow time against Neftekhimik; tickets go on sale on October 30
- The return was previously planned for October 23, but the Russian Football Union suspended the stadium's certificate for an additional inspection
- The stadium on Vostochnaya Street was officially opened on September 5; the stands hold approximately 15,000 spectators
The return to their home arena has been rescheduled for November 7
Moscow's Torpedo will play at their home stadium named after Eduard Streltsov for the first time since the reconstruction on November 7: in the matchday 17 fixture of the First League, the Zavod side will host Neftekhimik from Nizhnekamsk, with kickoff at 5:00 p.m. Moscow time. Ticket sales begin on October 30, the club's press service announced. This was reported by Life.ru.
Why the match had to be postponed
Initially, the return to their home arena was planned for October 23 — for the match against Rotor Volgograd. However, a few days before the fixture, the Russian Football Union suspended the stadium's certificate pending an additional inspection. As a result, Torpedo hosted Rotor at Khimki Arena, and that match ended in a 1:1 draw.
The renovated arena and the standings
The renovated stadium on Vostochnaya Street was officially opened on September 5. The arena, built in 1959 as a training ground for the factory team, underwent a large-scale reconstruction: the stands now hold approximately 15,000 spectators.
The standings ahead of the match
Torpedo enters the upcoming fixture in third place in the First League: after 15 rounds, the Muscovites have 28 points. Neftekhimik, with 13 points, sits 16th in the table. Thus, for the team, the date change was merely a delay in returning home, not a loss of position: the home match of round 17 against the outsider will take place at an arena that has already been officially opened — the only issue was re-approval following the inspection.
