Lokomotiv M – Zenit

Zenit must take on a depressed Lokomotiv.

On Saturday, 5 April, Lokomotiv will play at home against Zenit. The railwaymen are gradually falling out not only from the championship race, but also from the number of medal seekers. The team is already going sixth. Zenit is trying to keep up with Krasnodar. "Bulls" are ahead by three points. Lokomotiv started to give up at the end of the first part of the season. Alexei Batrakov's performance decreased, and the nominal forwards stopped working out. In the winter the club wanted to buy a new striker, but negotiations with potential suitors did not work out. In 2025, injuries also added to the mix. Now Lokomotiv is forced to play without Dmitry Barinov. In addition to him, Artem Karpukas has not yet regained his form. The club comes out in an experimental combination. This seriously affects the structure in both defence and attack. For example, in Samara, veteran Artem Timofeev played instead of Barinov. The team was crushed literally within ten minutes. Now Mikhail Galaktionov finds himself under serious pressure. On the one hand, the match with Zenit is important for a psychological breakthrough, on the other - it's more logical for the club to switch to the Cup of Russia. There is a chance for a trophy in another tournament. Zenit lifted their spirits by defeating Rubin. Zenit scored four goals against Kazan. The game left a double impression. On the one hand, Zenit took three points and stayed in the championship race, on the other hand - Alexander Sobolev failed to score again, and Maxim Glushenkov was lost due to injury. However, Maxim was not particularly useful to Zenit in 2025. Perhaps his absence will be for the good. Now the RPL leaders have Luciano Gondu. The Argentine is gradually becoming a new key player for Sergey Semak's system. Zenit will definitely not play Gustavo Mantuan in the match with Lokomotiv. The legionnaire is disqualified for yellow cards. But Glushenkov and Nino are available for selection. Sergei Semak confirmed the information. Lokomotiv have no new injuries. Galaktionov will only look for replacement options for Barinov. Lokomotiv last season was a very uncomfortable opponent for Zenit. The Muscovites beat the champion twice. In the first round, Loko's series continued: in a difficult match, the railwaymen snatched a draw. Now bookmakers are leaning towards the victory of the favourite. There is logic in this. The odds on the guests are gradually falling. Zenit simply has more opportunities. The bench can be a decisive factor. Lokomotiv hasn't surprised anyone since October. The team is clearly not having a random slump at all. The defence literally fell apart in Samara - Zenit will have plenty of chances.