First Scrimmage. Doing Fine

Lokomotiv have played their first exhibition game in Belek. This time their rivals were Borussia Dortmund’s youth. The young Germans tried to get the maximum from this opportunity. Besides, they were in a better form which put Lokomotiv in a more difficult position.

The starting lineup looked almost ideal. Manuel Fernandes looked very solid: he dribbled the ball in style and launched attacks from the deep.

Near the opponents’ box, Lokomotiv set up some promising attacks. On 13 minutes Vedran Corluka’s long pass came to Maicon who had a go but the keeper saved. Soon Samedov passed to Pavlyuchenko who laid the ball off to Maicon but his strike went wide. Mbark Boussoufa also played well and demonstrated good dribbling skills.

In the interval, Miodrag Bozovic substituted almost the entire squad. Only Maicon, Roman Shishkin, Jan Durica and Nemanja Pejcinovic remained fielded. The Serbian defender moved to a centre back position. Midfield was covered by Sheshukov, Yan Tigorev, and the Miranchuk brothers.

Oumar Niasse who worked well during trainings kept failing to show his best, although he was useful in pressing and tackling. Maicon kept running, and soon had another chance on 52 minutes. The Brazilian got checked but managed to pass to Miranchuk. The youngster saw Niasse and crossed to him but a defender cleared it.

Ten minutes later Pejcinovic played a long ball from the back and Shishkin was about to break but a defender robbed him of the ball with a sliding tackle.

On 65 minutes the long-awaited Maxim Belyaev came on the pitch. The youngster had just recovered from a knee injury. But soon he had to leave the turf again after an unlucky landing. Durica immediately returned, and while our back four reshaped, Borussia broke through the centre back zone and scored – Osbolt outplayed Ilya Abaev.

Even despite the massive renewal of the squad in half-time, the Railwaymen looked exhausted at the end. Anyway, that’s what the first training camp is for. It sets the direction for the later work, while the game result is not of a primary importance. On the whole, the Railwaymen played a good game against the tough opponents.

On 24 January Lokomotiv are playing another bounce game against Ulisses from Armenia.

Lokomotiv - Borussia U-23 0:1 (0:0)

Goal: Osbolt, 79.

Lokomotiv: Abaev, Shishkin, Corluka (Seraskhov, 46), Durica (Belyaev, 65, Durica, 77), Pejcinovic, Mykhalyk (Tigorev, 46), Fernandes (Sheshukov, 46), Samedov (Anton Miranchuk, 46), Boussoufa (Alexey Miranchuk, 46), Maicon (Kasaev, 65), Pavlyuchenko (Niasse, 46).

Yellow cards: Maicon, 38. Fernandes, 38.

20 January. Belek. Hotel Cornelia training field.