Loss after loss: Lokomotiv will try to save the start of the season in the cup derby

The Moscow derby between Lokomotiv and CSKA, which started the season unsuccessfully, will be the central match of the first round of the group stage of the Russian Cup. In addition, the significant meetings of the next two days include the confrontation of Krasnodar with Akhmat Grozny and Zenit St. Petersburg with Baltika Kaliningrad. In what form and psychological state the clubs are approaching the start of the new tournament — in the material of Izvestia.

Lokomotiv – CSKA

In Group D, two of the capital's top clubs, which had already played in the same cup quartet in the previous draw, were drawn by lot. They didn't get off to the best start in the Russian championship this summer. However, things are not too bad for CSKA yet — the red and blue started with a strong-willed victory over Baltika (2:1). But last weekend we lost points in the match with Samara "Wings of the Soviets" (1:1).

Dmitry Igdisamov, who led the team in early June, started the new season ambiguously, as both fans and experts expected CSKA to score maximum points in two home matches with not the strongest opponents.

However, things are even worse for Lokomotiv. Only one point after two rounds is a missed victory at home over Akhmat Grozny (1:1) and an away defeat from Dynamo Makhachkala (1:2). The current bronze medalist is at the bottom of the table.

And it has modest staffing capabilities. After the sale of striker Dmitry Vorobyov to Krasnodar, the Railwaymen have problems in attack. And soon there may be problems in the middle line if defensive midfielder Artem Karpukas leaves for Zenit. A number of media outlets call this an already resolved issue. In addition, there are rumors about the substantive interest of the Turkish champion Galatasaray in attacking midfielder Alexei Batrakov.

It is quite possible that this season, for both Lokomotiv and CSKA, the Russian Cup will be the tournament where they have a much better chance of winning a trophy than in the championship. Moreover, these two clubs are the record holders for the number of wins in this tournament in the Russian period, they won the trophy nine times each.

"Both teams look very bleak at the beginning of the season," Nikolai Naumov, former president of Lokomotiv, said in an interview with Izvestia. — Therefore, the upcoming cup match will be unpredictable, especially if the coaches decide to rotate the squad and release reserve or semi-reserve squads. In the meantime, it is clear that Lokomotiv is simply not ready for the season, the prospects are very vague, especially if Batrakov and Karpukas leave after Vorobyov. Loko may have to build a new team as the season progresses. But the Railwaymen can gather for a specific match with CSKA, especially since the army team also has a lot of gaming problems.

In the same group with Loko and CSKA are Tolyatti Akron and Rostov, who will play their match in Samara on August 4.

"We will try to repeat or surpass the result of last season"

Baltika football player Nikolai Titkov — about the unsuccessful start in the new championship and the departure of the main goalkeeper

Zenit – Baltika

Zenit has successfully started the new season. First, he won the Russian Super Cup, defeating Spartak Moscow (1:1, 4:2 on penalties). And then he scored two away defeats in the championship — he destroyed Akron (5:0), and then thanks to a hat-trick by Maxim Glushenkov and Orenburg (3:0).

Last season, Baltika became the main sensation of the championship, finishing in sixth place with a small budget. This is the best performance in the history of the Kaliningrad club in the highest echelon. Over the past year, she has created a lot of problems for Zenit. Last fall, the match between these teams in the championship ended in a draw (0-0). And in late February and early March, the blue-white-blues beat Baltika minimally (1-0) and with great difficulty — at home in the championship and away in the Cup.

This season, Baltika started with two games against Moscow clubs. At first, she lost offensively to CSKA (1:2), where Maxim Borisko, the main goalkeeper of the Kaliningrad club, was sold a few days later.

He was one of the heroes of last season, and it was largely thanks to him that Andrei Talalaev's team rose so high. He was replaced by Evgeny Latyshonok, who had already performed in Kaliningrad. Two years ago, he helped Baltika reach the final of the Russian Cup, after which he moved to Zenit.

In his first season in St. Petersburg, the 28-year-old goalkeeper was the main one, but at the beginning of the last championship he lost the competition to Denis Adamov and sat on the bench. Now the Latvian has returned to Kaliningrad according to a very specific scheme — a transfer to Nizhny Novgorod, which plays in the First League, and a lease to Baltika.

Evgeny began his second visit to the club with a successful home match against Dynamo, which ended in a 2-1 victory. Now he can enter the field against his former club, which he was in a bid for a week and a half ago.

"Last season we proved that we can play on equal terms with any opponent," Nikolai Titkov, the Baltic midfielder, told Izvestia. — Yes, it wasn't always possible to win, sometimes we lost or drew because of goals conceded in the last minutes. I believe that even now we are capable of achieving success in every match, regardless of the opponent's class. It is necessary to demonstrate from the first to the last minute the character that we had last season, to do what the head coach requires.

In another group C match, we will face Dynamo Makhachkala and Krylia Sovetov Samara.

Akhmat Stadium: Spartak will have a difficult trip to Grozny

The red and white will try to keep up with Zenit and Krasnodar, who are playing easier opponents in the 2nd round of the Russian Premier League.

Krasnodar – Akhmat

A year ago, Krasnodar interrupted Zenit's hegemony by taking away its championship. Last spring, he was close to repeating his success, but due to a misfire in the away match of the penultimate round against Dynamo Moscow (1:2), Zenit missed out. And then he failed to win the Russian Cup, losing in the Superfinal to Spartak (1:1, 3:4 on penalties). Now the Bulls are going to fight for the RPL championship and the Cup trophy again.

They started the championship with two wins — away over Rubin Kazan (3:1) and at home over Fakel Voronezh (3:2). Moreover, in the second of these meetings, they almost missed the advantage over their opponent who had just returned from the First League.

Krasnodar will begin their performance in the Russian Cup with a match against the unyielding Akhmat, which started with an away draw with Lokomotiv (1:1) and an offensive home defeat against Spartak (1:2) with a missed decisive goal at the end of the meeting.

In addition to Krasnodar and Akhmat, Fakel and Dynamo Moscow are in Group B, which will play each other in the first round in Voronezh. In addition, two matches in Group A will take place in Moscow: Spartak will host Orenburg, and Rodina will play Rubin Kazan.

The group stage of the Russian Cup will be held in two rounds, the teams will play six matches each. The first two places give the right to play in the RPL playoffs. The third place gives a start to the Path of the regions where representatives of the lower divisions (the first and professional league, the amateur league and the media league) perform. The first matches involving media and amateur teams, as well as Second League clubs, have already been played in this bracket, which is played exclusively in the playoff format.