Lokomotiv Izumrud saw off Stroitel Minsk 3:2 in the Russian Cup on Tuesday evening. The hosts had been winless in three matches, sitting fourth with just one point from three defeats. By then, everyone expected another loss.
But Lokomotiv threw everything at it. The scoreline tells the story — three sets to two — and that single point they already held became meaningful for the first time this season. To be fair, Stroitel didn't make it easy, but the home side found a way.
We had tipped a home victory at 51 per cent confidence. Not a huge margin, but the numbers were pointing in the right direction this time. The prediction thread runs at /ru/volleyball/prediction/lokomotiv-izumrud-stroitel-minsk-2026-09-09-4083/ if you want to check the reasoning.
Stroitel's recent record isn't pretty — losses to Soligorsk on three occasions, a couple of results against Legion Obukhovo. They came here knowing they needed something, and they got something, even if it wasn't enough.
Lokomotiv's position shifts after this. Four points from four games, climbing out of that bottom corner. And here's the thing — they didn't need a miracle, just a bit of belief.