Undisputed Victory!

With Roman Shishkin and Andrey Eschenko sidelined after the game in Samara, Slaven Bilic had to invent a new back-four. As a result, Vedran Corluka was sent to guard the right flank, Reto Ziegler dug in on the left, and the young but experienced Maxim Belyaev and Taras Burlak were installed in the centre of defence.

The first minutes of the game were pretty fruitful. Lokomotiv scored a cracker just 121 seconds after the starting whistle. Denis Glushakov passed into a space for Dame N'Doye to pick up the ball. The Senegalese shrug off the young Smolnikov and sent the ball into the back of the net around keeper Sinitsyn who made a bad positioning mistake.

But Krasnodar talked back just 7 minutes later. Wanderson crossed from the left flank and Shipitsyn's header from the centre of the box went straight into the corner.

Ten minutes on, Loko got into the driving seat again. Ziegler crossed from a free kick to Corluka in the box, the Croatian headed on to Caicedo who passed to N'Doye and the Senegalese forward added a second goal to his name in that match by the 20th minute.

By half-time Lokomotiv have totally outnumbered their opponents in scoring chances. In the 29th minute N'Doye could have scored a third goal. Caicedo set up for him marvellously, but the Senegalese couldn't finish properly and Sinitsyn took the ball. Just two minutes later Obinna feinted two defenders on the flank and shot. Sinitsyn stopped the ball in front of himself and Glushakov shot but missed being just a metre from the line.

In the 36th minute Caicedo could have assisted again. His brilliant pass sent Glushakov one-on-one with the keeper  who managed to fist the ball out of the Cap's feet.

Evenually, the first half that should have ended in Krasnodar's indecent rout resulted in Loko's modest one-goal lead.

Shortly after the half-time the score was level again. This time it was Wanderson. But the Railwaymen needed even less time to regain the lead. In the 51st minute Lokomotiv was granted a free kick and Victor Obinna shot powerfully from  a dangerous position. Sinitsyn tipped the ball but too weakly to stop it. 3:2, Obinna scored.

But even three goals wasn't enough for the Railwaymen. Between the 59th and 65th minute N'Doye alone could have scored at least twice but the keeper saved his team both times.

Loko's following two opportunities arose after Ziegler's fine crosses. First time, Corluka won the aerial battle and stroke but just over the crossbar. Second time, N'Doye was aiming at the corner but his header went just wide.

In the stoppage time Slaven Bilic made his second and last substitution: the young defender Vitaly Lystsov appeared on the pitch instead of Felipe Caicedo. This appearance became his first in an official game. Krasnodar tried to storm Loko's goal in the last seconds but the Railwaymen's defence worked well and did everything to secure the score.

Lokomotiv - Krasnodar 3:2 (2:1)

Goals: N'Doye, 3 (1:0). Shipitsyn, 10 (1:1). N'Doye, 20 (2:1). Vanderson, 48 (2:2). Obinna, 51 (3:2).

Lokomotiv: Guilherme, Corluka, Burlak, Belyaev, Ziegler, Tarasov, Tigorev, Glushakov, Obinna (Samedov, 80), Caicedo (Lystsov, 90), N'Doye.

Krasnodar: Sinitsyn, Andjelkovic, Amisulashvili (Martynovich, 37), Smolnikov, Tubic, Ignatiev (Appaev, 71), Kislyak, Joaozinho, Shipitsyn (Koman, 77), Marcio, Wanderson.

Yellow cards: Kislyak, 47. Tubic, 52. Caicedo, 54. Tarasov, 57. Tigorev, 61.

Referee: Vladislav Bezborodov (Saint Petersburg).

November 24. Moscow. Lokomotiv Stadium. 10 014 spectators.

Photoreport