Lokomotiv Moscow drew 1-1 with CSKA in the opening Group Stage match of the Cup on 4 August 2026. The result leaves both sides with a single point after their first outing of the competition.
Matheus Reis gave CSKA the lead at the 40th minute, but Lokomotiv equalised late on through A. Silyanov in the 90+3rd minute. And here's the thing — both goals came in the second half, though the first was only just before the break.
The manager made four changes at half-time, bringing on Kislyak, Glebov, Shchetinin and Vera for Lokomotiv. By then the game had settled into a rhythm that neither side could quite break. Further substitutions followed at the 60th and 76th minutes, with Kovalenko, Rakov, Gajic, Firov and Matheus Alves all entering the fray.
Both sides registered 50 per cent possession, but the statistics tell a different story. CSKA landed eight shots on target compared to Lokomotiv's four, yet the visitors could only convert one of their efforts. To be fair, Lokomotiv's defensive work limited clear-cut chances despite the shot disparity.
The yellow cards came late — Oblyakov and Morozov at 85 minutes, Barinov in stoppage time. Three bookings across the final ten minutes suggested the tension had built, even if the scoreline remained level.
Both teams carried forward from their recent form. Lokomotiv had lost only once in their last five matches, while CSKA's results were more mixed, including a heavy 5-2 defeat to Dynamo Moscow. The draw brought them together early in the group stage, but the line has barely moved between them on paper.