Krasnodar – Lokomotiv M

Lokomotiv are unfairly seen as outsiders in Krasnodar

Saturday, August 6, is an important match for Lokomotiv. The "Railwaymen" go on the road to Krasnodar. The Muscovites have only two points after three rounds. That's a big problem for the coaching staff, to whom Lokomotiv's fans already have many questions. On paper, Lokomotiv have claimed very high goals, but so far not a single win. In games against Nizhny Novgorod and Rostov, the Muscovites showed quality play. Volga managed to crush the attack, but the execution of the chances let them down. The 30 shots on goal led to only one goal but even that goal was scored from a penalty. In their encounter with Rostov, the Muscovites also enjoyed a comfortable lead, but an unfortunate sending-off affected the result. The away game against Zenit should be quickly forgotten. Zenit literally demolished Lokomotiv, although the score was 0-0 until the 63rd minute. Lokomotiv failed in the end. An unpleasant bonus was the suspension of Dmitry Barinov. Beka-Beka left the club this week. That means two important players from the central zone will be missing. Krasnodar have picked up four points in three rounds, but there are also a lot of questions about the game. The team is trying to maintain its style with ball control, but there are very few quality performers. The emphasis is on young players or veterans. Now Krasnodar do not have total superiority even against the outsiders. In the match against Fakel, the team allowed their opponents to shoot on goal thirteen times. The encounter with Spartak is difficult to analyse, because after the suspension in the first half, the opponents gained a total advantage. In the third leg, Krasnodar had three shots on target - three goals. That said, Ural rightly complained about the refereeing. The RFU have confirmed that one of the penalties against the club from Ekaterinburg was wrongly awarded. In the third round, Cordoba, the main centre-forward, and winger Olusegun did not play for Ural. These are systemic losses for the Bulls. There is no certainty that both players will be ready for the match against Lokomotiv. The bookmakers are gradually lowering the odds on Krasnodar. This could be a plus to play on. Krasnodar with serious lineup questions. Without Cordoba, the team won't be very dangerous in positional attack. Lokomotiv have very high motivation for the next game. Lokomotiv still have a very high quality attacking line. If Krasnodar play number one, they risk a few quick counterattacks, which the Muscovites had even against Zenit.