Lokomotiv Lost To Levski

On the day when the Railwaymen were playing their second friendly on Cyprus, the weather turned bad. Pouring rain and thunder came quickly, but didn't last long. By the evening, when Lokomotiv and Levski turned up on the pitch, only wet grass reminded of the rain.

Slaven Bilic was set for experiments that day, as nine of the main squad men were playing for their national teams. It was particularly uncommon to see Dmitry Tarasov and Vitaly Lystsov in the centre of defence.

The first thirty minutes of the game were poor in opportunities. The first danger came from the Bulgarians. Da Silva shot powerfully from a close range but Guilherme managed to react and grabbed the ball. In the 41st minute Levski had another fat chance to score but Guilherme saved his team again, clearing the ball from the very line.

But during the last three minutes of the half Lokomotiv dominated the pitch. First, Roman Pavlyuchenko shot from the edge of the box but the keeper stopped the ball. In the next attack, a cross from a flank found Roman's head but the ball shook the post and bumped off back into the field. In the last minute of the half Dmitry Loskov was knocked down in the box trying to net a goal after Dmitry Sychev's cross. The referee granted a penalty and SuperPav shot but couldn't fool the keeper who stopped the ball.

In the half-time Slaven Bilic made just one change, installing Vitaly Denisov in the left back position instead of Renat Yanbaev.

Early in the second half Dmitry Sychev had a good chance to score. He dribbed the ball through the defence and ran one-on-one with the keeper but the latter blocked Dima's shot.

In the 62nd minute Slaven Bilic made a double substitution: Guilherme and Dmitry Loskov were changed to Miroslav Lobantsev and Alexey Miranchuk.

Three minutes after that, Miroslav had to get the ball from the net. Although it's hard to blame him for that: Levski played a set piece and Gadzhev picked his spot right in the top corner.

Later Slaven Bilic made two more substitutions, refreshing his team with Dmitry Torbinsky and Vyacheslav Podberyozkin.

In between these two substitutions Lokomotiv created two chances. First, Roman Shishkin could have made the score level but the keeper got the ball from under the crossbar. Then Loko played a corner but the keeper blocked Pavlyuchenko's shot again.

Levski kept threatening Loko's goal too. In the 75th minute Iordanov crossed to the box and De Carvalho shot but missed just an inch.

The Railwaymen were close to scoring an equalizer but instead conceded another goal. Vasilev entered Loko's box and stumbled over Podberyozkin's foot. The referee gave a penalty and De Carvalho netted from the spot.

But even after this Lokomotiv kept pressing Levski. In one episode, Torbinsky made a good pass to Ozdoev who produced a finesse shot from the edge of the box, but the keeper had the ball. Seconds later Pavlyuchenko foxed a defender in the corner of the box and centered to Miranchuk. The young player shot, the ball bounced off Torbinsky into the post which saved the Bulgarians again.

Lokomotiv - Levski 0:2 (0:0)
 
Goals: Gadjev, 65 (0:1). De Carvalho, 88 – pen. (0:2).
 
Missed penalty: Pavlyuchenko, 45.
 
Lokomotiv: Guilherme (Lobantsev, 62), Shishkin, Tarasov, Lystsov, Yanbaev (Denisov, 46), Ozdoev, Loskov (Alexey Miranchuk, 62), Obinna, Khartiyadi (Torbinsky, 67), Sychev (Podberyozkin, 74), Pavlyuchenko.

Levski: Iliev (Ivanov, 60), Mulder, Starokin, Vezalov, Plamen Dimov (Elie, 60), Angelov, Prochazka (Vasilev, 76), Iordanov (Vutov, 76), Gadzhev, Velev, Da Silva (De Carvalho, 46).
 
Yellow cards: Prochazka, 36. Ozdoev, 57.
 
February 6. Larnaca. "Neo GSZ" Stadium.