Done With Rubin

With the starting whistle, Lokomotiv took possession of the ball. The Railwaymen's very first attempt could have tirned successful. Roman Shishkin who captained this day steamed through his flank and centered to the box but keeper Ryzhikov was the first on the ball.

Lokomotiv managed to net just 10 minutes later. Vedran Corluka found the bouncing ball on the edge of the box and scored an astounding goal which, however, was cancelled. Just a moment before the referee saw Maxim Grigoriev fouled.

Lokomotiv have been pressing Rubin all over the pitch and  by the half-hour mark had another fat chance to score. Shishkin ran along the touchline again and crossed to Grigoriev but the latter's header was a bit inaccurate.

In the middle of the first half Lokomotiv was given a free kick 30 metres off the goal. Dame N'Doye decided to take the chance and rightly so! The Senegalese accurately kicked the ball over the wall built by Ryzhikov but the keeper saved his team.

The end of the first half lacked the drama. The most interesting part so far was a red card shown to Ansaldi whose sliding tackle against Ian Tigorev was found excessively aggressive. Now it was ten men against eleven, power play for Loko.

In the second half, Lokomotiv needed just seven minutes to score. And again it was a free kick. Alexander Samedov played a long corner, Corluka headed back to Dmitry Tarasov and the midfielder hammered the ball in. What a great comeback for Tarasov, who missed several months due to an injury!

The inspired Railwaymen continued putting up the pressure and creating opportunities. In the next five minutes, Dame N'Doye could have scored twice. First, the forward got the ball in Rubin's box but couldn't strike properly. Later, the Senegalese smartly rounded a defender but keeper Ryzhikov cleared the ball.

N'Doye became a real pain in the neck for Rubin's defence. At the 77th minute he again confused the opponents entering the box from the left. Ryzhikov stopped the ball in the very corner.

In the end of the game Rubin was given a free kick 35 metres off Loko's goal. But Dario Kresic managed to punch the ball away despite the collision with Cesar Navas.

Seconds before the final whistle N'Doye could have scored again. He ran up a wing into the box and blasted but the shot failed to find the net going an inch off the far post.

Lokomotiv - Rubin 1:0 (0:0)

Goals: Tarasov, 52.

Lokomotiv: Kresic, Corluka, Durica, Shishkin, Eschenko, Grigoriev (Maicon, 62), Samedov, Tarasov, Tigorev (Ozdoev, 85), Obinna (Torbinsky, 76), N'Doye.

Rubin: Ryzhikov, Kuzmin, Ansaldi, Navas, Marcano, Ryazantsev, Kasaev (Karadeniz, 58), Carlos Eduardo (Sharonov, 46), Eremenko, Natcho, Dyadyun (Rondon, 46).

Yellow cards: Ansaldi, 10. Tarasov, 54. Karadeniz, 65. Corluka, 67. Maicon, 73.

Red cards: Ansaldi, 45.

Referee: Sergey Karasev (Moscow).

September 15. Moscow. Lokomotiv Stadium. 11 408 spectators.