Lokomotiv earned a draw with Baltika at the end of the first quarterfinal match

The play-off stage of the Fonbet Russian Cup opened with the first quarterfinal match of the “RPL Path” between Baltika and Lokomotiv, which turned out to be very entertaining. The Kaliningraders, having conceded a goal, crushed the railway workers so brutally after the break that they scored twice in a row. And Lokomotiv, which at some point looked doomed to defeat, was still able to achieve a draw in the end.

This game did not take a minute to warm up, one might even say not a second. Immediately after the ball was played in the central circle, the boundaries of which, unlike the previous Kaliningrad meeting, were between Baltika and Spartak, which was remembered primarily for the terrible snowfall, which hid from the spectators not only the lines on the field, but also the greenery of the lawn and the players, were clearly visible, he ended up on the goal line on the foot of forward Timur Suleymanov. Suleymanov was prevented from scoring by the hosts’ first-time starter, their 36-year-old rookie goalkeeper Soslan Dzhanaev, who felt that he had to rush out to meet the danger in advance.

And away we go. “Baltika”, as if angered by this impudent injection, ran forward itself, and Alexander Osipov, who connected from the depths, ruined a golden opportunity to deliver a killer blow. Lokomotiv, not wanting to be left behind, scored an offside goal, and after it, an absolutely legitimate goal.

His rather long attack seemed to choke along with the next slalom of Sergei Pinyaev, who ran into a dense barrier. But there was also an option in reserve with a rebound and a new attempt to penetrate into the penalty area – this time from the flank.

And the Baltika players, hypnotized by Pinyaev, seemed to have completely forgotten about him, the left flank of defense. Maxim Nenakhov, who crept up through this zone, had a lot of time to prepare the program and cut it perfectly – on the head of the energetic one, as if he was afraid, having taken a short pause, that Suleymanov would immediately freeze.

Lokomotiv took the lead, and defender Osipov, who was more dangerous than Baltika’s attacking players, again missed a great chance. Having accepted Angel Enriquez’s discount near the penalty line, he shot terribly inconveniently for visiting goalkeeper Guilherme – hard, low and so that the ball slipped between Dmitry Barinov’s legs. Lokomotiv was lucky: Osipov missed again. This time – just a little.

And Baltika, lagging behind, looked good. She pressed on, showed a taste for wide attacks that stretched someone else’s defense. But Lokomotiv also looked good, disciplined enough to prevent the outbreak of a real fire, and not isolated outbreaks.

The fire broke out after the break, apparently also thanks to the substitutions made by Baltika coach Sergei Ignashevich, although, for example, many Kaliningrad fans hardly appreciated the decision to remove Osipov to the bench. But no, all the moves were right.

“Baltika” put pressure on “Lokomotiv” so painfully that few people have put pressure on it this season. And the railway workers confirmed the assumption that they still do not have enough fortress. They spent a quarter of an hour trying to get out of it. Guilherme saved the game, taking the ball under the crossbar that Tamerlan Musaev had twisted wildly. The Muscovites’ field players, who were insuring the goalkeeper near the “ribbon”, risking a penalty for handball, saved the game. And the goalkeeper himself sometimes, having deflected the threats, looked into the distance with some kind of dumbfounded look, clearly feeling that trouble was already nearby.

Baltika equalized the score when Tigran Avanesyan took the rebound and fired a perfect shot into the corner. And most importantly, having experienced this honestly deserved joy, Baltika, demonstrating the habits of a thoroughbred team, did not slow down and immediately distinguished itself again. This time, the corner helped and Nathan Hassam’s ability to grow into the lawn like a stone, withstand a tough fight with opponents, and, not paying attention to them, jump sharply up.

“Baltika” allowed itself to slow down a little only at the end. And the retribution for this weakness was cruel. Compensation time was passing when Lokomotiv was still able to storm the Kaliningrad gates. It culminated with a cross, after which the ball got stuck in the penalty area, and a second later, like a pinball ball thrown by a spring, it jumped out of the crowd of legs towards Timur Suleymanov. And that Lokomotiv did not disappoint, restoring the balance with its second goal and ensuring the capital club’s status as the pair’s favorite before the return match. It will take place in Moscow in March.

Alexey Dospehov