Destination - Sochi!
Lokomotiv beat Ufa in the Russian Cup Semifinals and advanced to the Final.
Lokomotiv continue surprising the fans with more exciting matchday activities. This time it was virtual footballers Anton KLENOFF and Robert "UFENOK77" Fakhretdinov who entertained the crowd. The two picked up gamepads to clash right on the square at the steam engine. The game attracted a lot of people who witnessed the victory of our player 2:1.
Before the start of the warm-up the whole team came up to the South Stand to commemorate the long-time supporter Aleksandr Chayka who has been a fixture there. Some time ago he had been diagnosed with a terminal illness. He had been fighting hard and dreamed of seeing the favourite team in the Cup Final but passed away aged 33, leaving behind two children... The players and the coaches commemorated the fan by laying the flowers to his photo. The South Stand stretched a big banner devoted to Aleksandr.
That's how the lie goes: before the game kicked off, the players and the fans commemorated the victims of the St. Petersburg metro train terrorist attack with a moment of silence.
The game could have started with an early goal by Ufa be it not for Guilherme who denied the opposition a 100% opportunity and then immediately parried a follow-up by Fatai. The visitors were very active early in the game and Marinato had some work to do. Lokomotiv managed to push the action away from their goal by the middle of the first half. Then Ari checked Belenov's involvement in the game - the Brazilian headed a low volley. Soon, Fernandes proved his class - the Portuguese took an amazingly precise shot at the far corner from about 22 metres, making it 1:0.
In halftime Yuriy Syomin changed Farfan for Tarasov, and play turned tough. The referee had to step in several times and book four players in just right minutes to put out the fire that was about to flare.
In the middle of the second half, Lokomotiv lost Ignatyev to an injury. Vlad hurt his leg and had to be carried off the pitch. At the same time, elsewhere on the field the doctors were helping Taras Mykhalyk who had come under friendly fire from Kverkvelia.
In the remaining time, Ufa made several attempts to lock Lokomotiv down on their third but the home side took timely measures to eliminate dangers.
We are in the Final! Looking forward to seeing you in Sochi on May 2nd!
Russian Cup. Semifinal
Lokomotiv - Ufa 1:0 (1:0)
Goals: Fernandes, 44 (1:0)
Lokomotiv: Guilherme, Ignatyev (V.Denisov, 75), Mykhalyk, Kverkvelia, Pejcinovic, Margasov, i.Denisov, Fernandes, Al. Miranchuk, Farfan (Tarasov, 46), Ari (Maicon 71).
Ufa: Belenov, Alikin, Nikitin, Jokic, Sysuev (Oblyakov, 61), Vanek, Zhivoglyadov (Putsko, 87), Paurevic, Fatai, Stotskiy (Krotov, 83), Karp
Bookings: Vanek, 48. Stotskiy, 52. Alikin, 53. Margaov, 56., Jokic, 88. Paurevic, 92. Guilherme, 93.
Referee: Aleksandr Yegorov (Saransk)
April 5th, 2017. Moscow, Lokomotiv Stadium.
