FC Lokomotiv Moscow 1-2 (1-0) FC Krasnodar
Goals: Ignatyev, 36 (1-0), Mamayev, 56 (Gazinskiy, 1-1), Wánderson, 64 (Claesson, 1-2).
FC Lokomotiv Moscow: Guilherme, Yanbayev, Kvirkvelia, Ćorluka, Pejčinović, V. Denisov, I. Denisov, Fernandes, Miranchuk, Ignatyev (Kolomeytsev, 62), Maicon.
FC Krasnodar: Sinitsyn, Kaleshin, Granqvist, Naldo, Ramírez, Shishkin, Gazinskiy, Pereyra (Kaboré, 65), Zhigulyov (Mamayev, 55), Claesson (Okriashvili, 73), Wánderson.
Yellow cards: Sinitsyn, 90+5 (unsporting behaviour).
Referees: Meshkov (Dmitrov), Bogach (Lyubertsy), Petrosyan (Bronnitsy).
13 March 2017. Moscow. Lokomotiv Stadium. Clear. 3 degrees. 9 494 spectators.
FC Krasnodar arrived to Moscow for an away fixture vs. FC Lokomotiv (a traditionally uncomfortable team for the black-greens to play against) without their injured top scorer Smolov. Also, two players of the first squad began the game seated on a substitution bench. Kaboré the defensive midfielder had barely recovered from an injury and began training with the first team a few days ago. He was accompanied in reserve by Stanislav Kritsyuk the keeper who had suddenly caught a cold just the day before the match.
The visitors however had an upper hand in the very beginning, since they were this close to score an opener as early as on the 4th minute. Zhigulyov brought himself to shoot from twenty three meters making the ball bounce from a defender and drop next to the penalty spot area. Wánderson attempted a spectacular bicycle kick from there, but the ball hit Guilherme instead who dispelled the threat with his fists. A few minutes later Wánderson had his leg kicked next to the very 18-yard line of the home team, but Meshkov the ref paid no regard to the episode depriving the Bulls of a prospective free kick.
On the 17th minute the Parovozy launched a sharp attack through the centre. Maicon emerged one-on-one with Sinitsyn, but our goalkeeper managed to close in with the striker making him shoot a bit to the right, off target. After this wasted chance the game became equal and calmed down somewhat. It stayed that way until the 36th minute when FC Krasnodar defense committed a failure. Ramírez was in the process of interrupting the ball served by Fernandes when he abruptly sliced it precisely to the foot of Vladislav Ignatyev who was alone twelve meters away from Sinitsyn’s domain and directly in front of it. The Loko player exploited his chance in cold blood sending the ball exactly into the bottom corner of the net.
This conceded goal unhinged the Krasnodar players until the end of the first half. The black-greens began acting irresolutely in defense, and only lack of accuracy the home team displayed in the final third did not allow them to leave the pitch for a half-time interval with a better lead.
The second half began in a rather placid way, and that was perfectly okay with the Red-Greens. Soon enough FC Krasnodar boss Igor Shalimov decided to carry out the first substitution, so Mamayev appeared on the right flank of attack instead of Zhigulyov. It took only one minute for this rearrangement to snap into action, and that completely turned the flow of events on a field of play upside down. The No. 7 launched an attack on his flank with a sharp pass at first. A low cross then followed next to the corner of the box making the ball bounce to Gazinskiy who proceeded with a shot on the run. That one was not accurate enough, but Pavel Mamayev played the episode to the end as he came running and shot the ball next to the second pole at close range.
The score became equal making FC Lokomotiv play more actively. The game itself became more open, and that favored the Bulls greatly as they scored their second goal merely eight minutes later. It was Mamayev again who took the most active part in the scoring attack. What he did was passing to the ball to Claesson, who then found Francisco Wánderson in the centre of the box with an accurate pass of his own. The Brazilian striker then sent the ball delicately into the second corner making it brush against the goalpost.
The Moscow team hurled themselves forward with triple the energy, and Igor Shalimov made two more substitutions. Kaboré came in instead of Pereyra strengthening the defensive midfield, while Okriashvili (he replaced Claesson on pitch) added more freshness to the flank attacks of the black-greens. Starting from the 80th minute of the game FC Lokomotiv mighty defender Ćorluka took root as a centre-forward, and the home team launched a heavy general assault. It was surely hard for the Krasnodar players as it was, and to make things worse Okriashvili sustained an injury in a collision on the 88th minute. The Krasnodar Georgian was unable to keep on playing, so it became the second Russian Football Championship match in a row FC Krasnodar had to finish at a numerical disadvantage.
The referee added almost five minutes of the injury time to the game, and twice within this period the Loko goalie Guillerme arrived running to the away penalty area to take part in a set piece. He became the one to take the final shot on goal of the match and missed. The full-time whistle by Meshkov the ref recorded a comeback for FC Krasnodar. It became the first win in history the Club achieved over FC Lokomotiv away in Moscow, and this victory was also important tournament-wise as it returned the black-greens to the fourth position in the standings.