Lokomotiv and Ural approached the match in the first round of the RPL Path of the Russian Cup group stage in a different frame of mind. The starting matches of the teams in the new national championship were very different. Ekaterinburgers unexpectedly surpassed last season’s silver medalists CSKA from the capital in many ways and were determined to make a successful start at the second most prestigious national club tournament, defeating another team from Moscow. In turn, the “railroad” escaped with great difficulty in the game with “Rubin” – and the quality of football shown by the team of Mikhail Galaktionov in this meeting, there were many questions. So the home team had something to prove in the next game.
memory of a teacher
Before the start of the meeting, the spectators in the RZD Arena watched a moving action. For the Petrozavodsk referee team, consisting of Artur Fedorov, Dmitry Semyonov and Rustam Mukhtarov, this was the first match at the highest level of Russian football. The referees attended the game with shirts dedicated to the man who did everything possible for his compatriots to reach this pinnacle. FIFA referee Vladimir Pettai died in a horrific plane crash in 2011, but his students remember who gave them a ticket to great soccer. And they couldn’t stop honoring his memory on such an important day for them.
ruby shade
Already from the first seconds of the match, Lokomotiv fans could have had the impression that the previous rival, Rubin Kazan, did not seem to have left Moscow. “Ural” also immediately took control of the ball, which resulted in an early goal. The combination of several of the guests, which began after a shot from the outside, ended with a well-balanced cross from Kiki over Ayupov and a well-aimed shot from one of the main heroes of the Urals’ game against CSKA. Timur is gradually becoming the new leader of the Yekaterinburg attacks, and this fact cannot but please the head coach of the team Viktor Goncharenko, who is facing serious losses in personnel.
After that, Lokomotiv rallied for a long time, not knowing what to do with the ball and their own nerves. Ural skillfully used it, and at various times the guests only lacked the last pass to double the advantage.
At the same time, the Lokomotiv fans were not discouraged and continued to push their team forward as if nothing had happened. And little by little the red and green were able to equalize the game, and after half an hour they began to systematically escalate the situation at the gates of Ilya Pomazun. Isidor fell face to face with the Ural goalkeeper, failed to score, but corrected himself in the next attack.
“soviet sport”
Miranchuk’s center turned into a goal, despite the efforts of the visiting defender, who fought to keep the tenth number of the ‘railroad’. Ilya Pomazun also did not play very well in this episode, who can also be credited as an indirect co-scorer of this goal.
After that, the course of the game did a 180 degree turn. Now Lokomotiv stormed the Ural gates, and the guests tried to hold out with great difficulty. However, the score before the break no longer changed. Fedorov’s whistle sent the teams to the locker room with the score tied.
Cold shower
“soviet sport”
During the break, both coaches made two substitutions. And the permutations made by Mikhail Galaktionov were the first to work, and very quickly. Isidor cut a chic pass to cool Tiknizyan, and fired point blank at the gates of Pomazun. The nominal defender for the second time this season rescues the team from him by scoring the most important goal. After that, Ural, unsurprisingly, became even more nervous, which resulted in a yellow card received by Ayupov. Viktor Goncharenko urgently needed to change something, and he sent Mishkic and Ishkov to the field. Galaktionov immediately responded by releasing Artyom Dziuba and Konstantin Maradishvili. “Ural” tried to add, but it can be very difficult to keep up with the departing train. The guests created chances, Lokomotiv saved Lantratov several times, and when Egorychev missed the corner kick from a deadly position, it was time for the host fans to grab his hearts. However, Mikhail Galaktionov’s team survived, achieved a decisive victory, 2: 1, and with confidence you can call the start in the Russian Cup successful.
