Held in Perm

In a match which for the most part was under torrential rain, Lokomotiv were unable to bring home the three points. Despite looking the better team of the two Lokomotiv didn't took their chances and eventually they paid the price. Yury Semin altered the formation and opted for a 4-5-1 one. Cech regained his place and took the place of the injured Guilherme. Predictably Yanbaev and Kuzmin started on the flanks while Dujmovic, on his return to Perm partnered Sennikov at the back. Gatagov and Bilyaletdinov started on the wings while Charles and Glushakov together with a little more advanced Mudjiri completed the three in the central midfield. Sychev completed the line-up.

The match kicked of under torrential rain and this seemed to hinder the play of both teams. Actually the match took more than a quarter of an hour in order to produce something of note. A cross from the right by the Loko number 10, Mudjiri was met very well by Sychev, but likewise was the response from Narubin. On the 35th minute, during an Amkar attack, Sennikov was unintentionally violently hit on the head and thus he was unable to continue the match. Eventually, Sennikov's injury allowed 17-year old Maxim Belyaev to make his debut in the Premier League. Recall that Belyaev debuted with the Loko seniors only 4 days ago in the Russian Cup clash with SKA-Energiya. Likewise, Jean Carlos, was unable to continue the match for the Red-Blacks and thus he was replaced by William de Oliveira.

In the second half the men in white shirts came out a little more aggressive and started to take the match to Amkar's half. After a chance apiece, and with Lokomotiv looking the most dangerous, the men in stripes shocked the visitors and broke the deadlock. A corner from the left was flapped by Cech and from close range Sikimic made no mistake. This error proved to be costly as within the remaining 25 minutes Lokomotiv were only able to score a single goal. Glushakov was brought down in the area and justly, Lokomotiv were awarded a penalty from which Sychev made no mistake, thus breaking his duck in the process. In the last quarter Bilyaletdinov could have won the match for Loko. Following a mix-up in Amkar's box, Bilyaletdinov was put clean through by Sychev, but, instead of shooting, Bilyaletdinov opted to pass the ball in the centre. However his pass was clearly misjudged and thus Lokomotiv lost another opportunity. Semin played his last card, that is Fininho, which however proved to be ineffective. One-all was the final score, a score which neither team benefited from. While Lokomotiv continue to langiush in the middle of the table, Amkar remained in the relegation zone. Kuzmin was the only Loko man to be booked.

Player Ratings:
Cech - 5 - Dealt with everything thrown at him. However fumbled a corner, which eventually cost the match for Lokomotiv.

Yanbaev - 6.5 - Bombing forward continually as usual, however with little end product.
Sennikov - 6.5 - Replaced early in the first due to a hard challenge. Played well till his injury. From this blog I wish you a speedy recovery!
Dujmovic - 7.5 - Played out of position but really impressed. Man of match. Played with bags of confidence at the back, inspired confidence throughout all the team. Could have scored as well.
Kuzmin - 7 - Strong at the back. Attacked more than usual.

Gatagov - 7 - Does he play with fire in his belly? Amazing work rate. Never gave up. A real gem of a player!
Charles - 6.5 - Sprayed some good passes.
Glushakov - 7 - Poor in the first half but grew immensly in the second half. Won the penalty for the Railwaymen
Bilyaletdinov - 6.5 - Some neat touches. However far from the Bilya we know. In my opinion this is all due to lack of match fitness.
Mudjiri - 7 - Linked up the midfield with attack very well. Although nowhere near Loskov, his performance really was joyful to watch. A sort of Loskov-like performance.

Sychev - 7.5 - Finally scored! Really grew in confidence after scoring, never stopped going. A true Sychev performance.

Substitutions:
Belyaev - 7 - To say the truth, I was bewildered by the performance of the 17 year old. Despite playing his first ever Premier Liga game, he seemed that he have been playing for ages. Really grew in confidence as the match progressed.
Kocis - 6 - Rarely threatened
Fininho- N/A - Brought on in the dying minutes of the game; at least touched the ball.