There was little to separate the sides in the opening half, which finished goalless as Marsaxlokk stayed in the game and Pyunik searched for a breakthrough. The tempo remained tense after the restart, with the home side still pushing for the moment that would turn pressure into a lead.
That decisive flash arrived in the 79th minute. Kulikov stepped up and converted from the spot, moving Pyunik in front and giving the home crowd at the Republican Stadium something to hold onto through the closing stages. From there, the match became about control and composure, and Pyunik saw out the final minutes without allowing Marsaxlokk back level.
The score may have been narrow, but the result was enough. The main highlights came down to that single penalty, and the final stats line told a simple story: one goal, no reply, and a home side that protected its advantage to full time.
Pyunik had also won the previous meeting between the clubs 3-0, so this latest victory completed a strong two-match summary for the Armenian side against Marsaxlokk.
Our pre-match analysis called this one correctly. These picks were backed before kick-off and landed after the final result.
1X2: Home @1.25
Pre-match pick: Pyunik are clear home favourites and the 2-0 prediction backs the home win.