That Was Close

Sidelined for months due to an injury Loko’s keeper Guilherme returned to tend the goal. But Slaven Bilic prepared yet another surprise for the opponents: first time for quite a long period the Railwaymen had two forwards up front, them being Dame N’Doye and Felipe Caicedo.

The Ecuadorian and the Senegalese created the first chance in the game. Caicedo carried the ball along the flank, entered the box and centered to N’Doye who sent a curled ball to the upper corner but missed just a fraction.

Thirty minutes into the game Alexander Samedov approached Anji’s box and crossed. N’Doye hit the ball with the back of the head and it took Gabulov some effort to parry.

Just a minute later Loko’s another attack could have turned effective. Samedov crossed, Corluka outhanged his opponent and headed but Carcela-Gonzales stopped the ball on the very line.

In the end of the half Andrey Eschenko could have scored. The defender volleyed but Gabulov grabbed the ball.

Despite Lokomotiv dominated on the pitch, the first half could have ended quite illogically after a shot by Tagirbekov but Anji’s striker only shook the post.

In the mid-half Slaven Bilic was forced to change Samedov for Obinna. Alexander got injured and will have to go through some therapy.

When the referee blew for the second half, Lokomotiv continued pressing the visitors. Roman Shishkin supported the attack, got the ball on the edge of the box and crossed. Dame N’Doye hit shot but Gabulov managed to block the ball with his foot.

In the 64th minute Caicedo rammed into the box and shot but the strike was blocked by the defenders. Caicedo’s second attempt went a bit wide.

In the 67th minute Glushakov went for glory from outside the box but Tagirbekov managed to block the shot in the very last moment.

In the next attack, N’Doye got the ball several metres off the post and shot but Gabulov stopped the ball. Two minutes later N’Doye headed but the keeper got the ball again.

In the 72nd minute one of Anji’s very rare attacks ended up in a clumsy goal. Carcela-Gonzales shot from outside the box, the ball bumped off the tussock and rolled into the bottom corner.

But it seemed the Railwaymen didn’t even notice this. They continued putting up pressure on Anji’s goal. Denis Glushakov bulleted from the edge of the box again but again wide.

In the 81st minute Roman Pavlyuchenko appeared on the pitch. And in just 4 minutes the forward set up an attack that turned effective. Roman lost his marker and shot from a 25-metre distance, N’Doye put his foot in the way of the ball thus sending it to the bottom corner. Gabulov pushed the ball out of the goal but the Senegalese hammered it back again. Just in case.

In the remaining time Lokomotiv had several chances but couldn’t score. The game that could have gone Loko’s way went nobody’s way.

Lokomotiv – Anji 1:1 (0:0)

Goals: Carcela-Gonzales, 72 (0:1). N’Doye, 84 (1:1).

Lokomotiv: Guilherme, Burlak, Corluka, Shishkin, Eschenko, Grigoriev (Pavlyuchenko, 80), Glushakov, Samedov (Obinna, 46), Tigorev, Caicedo, N’Doye.

Anji: Gabulov, Samba, Tagirbekov, Logashov, Boussoufa, Agalarov, Jusilei, Carcela-Gonzales, Zhirkov, Eto’O, Traore (Lakhiyalov, 60).

Yellow cards: Carcela-Gonzales, 49. Traore, 50. Caicedo, 57. Boussoufa, 57.

Referee: Alexey Nikolaev (Moscow).

November 11. Moscow. Lokomotiv Stadium. 11657 spectators.