Defeat to Spartak

First twenty minutes of the game were an equal fight and brought no spectacular opportunities. Although the Railwaymen could have invented something. In the 19th minute Vladislav Ignatiev made a cute cross from the left and Spartak’s defender was just a millisecond earlier on the ball than Victor Obinna. Only a minute later, Roman Shishkin carried the ball along his flank to the very goal line and centered to where Dmitry Sychev was but Nicolas Pareja read the cross and got to it.

The 23rd minute brought Spartak’s first goal. Suchi won the high ball and headed under the very crossbar. 0:1.

Lokomotiv could have equalized just three minutes later. In Spartak’s box, the ball bounced from a defender and came straight to Sychev who shot but just off the upper corner.

Having failed to use their opportunities, the Railwaymen conceded the second goal in the 41st minute from Spartak’s forward Dzyuba.

Despite this worst-case scenario the Railwaymen pulled themselves together and reinforced their pressure on Rebrov’s goal in the second half. In the 52nd minute Obinna carried the ball along the touchline and centered but there was no one to receive the attempt. Another flank attack followed soon but a defender stopped Shishkin from making a precise pass.

To push up the attack, Jose Couceiro threw in Senijad Ibricic. The Bosnian started playing all the free kicks and one of them could have become an assist. Ibricic played a corner sending the ball right to Obinna who made a great bicycle kick but just over the crossbar.

Ten minutes before the final whistle Lokomotiv made two last substitutions: Dmitry Loskov and Maxim Grigoriev appeared on the pitch.

In the 83rd minute the veteran Loskov took a free kick which he did masterfully. Alas, the ball deflected from a defender’s back an left the pitch.

Lokomotiv was pressing the opponent till the very end but never scored.

Lokomotiv - Spartak 0:2 (0:2)

Goals: Suchi, 23 (0:1). Dzyuba, 40 (0:2).

Lokomotiv: Filtsov, Burlak, Shishkin, Eschenko (Grigoriev, 80), Belyaev, Zapater, Glushakov, Ignatiev  (Ibricic, 60), Torbinsky, Sychev (Loskov, 80), Obinna.

Spartak: Rebrov, Suchi, Pareja, Kombarov K., Bryzgalov, Carioca (Zotov, 87), McGeady (Gatagov, 90), Rojo, Bilyaletdinov, Ari (Obukhov, 79), Dzyuba.

Yellow cards: Carioca, 51. Ignatiev, 59. Torbinsky, 66. McGeady, 78. Rojo, 82. Kombarov K., 85.

Referee: Sergey Karasev (Moscow).

May 13. Moscow.Lokomotiv Stadium. 26 234 spectators.