CSKA Moscow and Lokomotiv Moscow met at VEB Arena on 22 August for a Premier League clash that ended 3:2 in favour of the hosts. The result keeps CSKA on course after six rounds while leaving Lokomotiv rooted in 14th place with just three points from six games.
And here's the thing about this one — Lokomotiv took the lead first through Silyanov in the 22nd minute before Gondou levelled for CSKA shortly after. VAR confirmed the equaliser at the 30th-minute mark, then Danilov put the home side ahead just before the break. Matheus Alves doubled CSKA's advantage in the second half, but Pinyaev's strike at 75 minutes forced a tense finish.
To be fair, Lokomotiv started brighter and created more clear-cut opportunities, yet CSKA's efficiency told. The visitors had four big chances against three, but their shots accuracy of 25 per cent meant they finished with just three efforts on target compared to ten for CSKA. By then the visitors were already chasing the game.
Substitutions came thick and fast in the closing stages — Kovalenko and Bakaev both entered for Lokomotiv around the hour mark, while CSKA turned to Popovic and Montes as the scoreline threatened to slip away. The home side pressed higher after the break, got dragged out of position occasionally, but held firm through a period of yellow cards for Nyamsi, Danilov and Gondou.
CSKA now sit fourth with 12 points, three wins and three draws, while Lokomotiv's winless run extends to three losses alongside three draws. The visitors had been unbeaten in their last four before this result ended that spell, and the gap between the two sides in the table has widened considerably.