06 Feb 2020
Doha, 6 February 2020. It is all square in the MATCH PREMIER CUP tournament with each team winning one and losing one after two games. This is the status of affairs after Lokomotiv beat Spartak 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw on Match Day 2 of competition taking place at Aspire Academy on Wednesday, 5 February 2020.
Lokomotiv lost on penalties to Partizan Belgrade on Match Day 1 while Spartak beat Rostov 2-1, but it was Lokomotiv who started the match more potent and purposeful. Defender Vladislav Ignatiev put Lokomotiv ahead in the first half with a well taken shot as the Rail men bossed the exchanges. Spartak returned for second half with an infusion of new players and wrestled back control of the match. Not long after resumption Spartak equalized through defender IIya Gaponov. Spartak thought they had won it at the death when Maxim Glushenkov put the ball into the back of the net, but he was adjudged to have done so from an offside position.
Lokomotiv stayed in the game courtesy of saves from goalkeeper, Anton Kochenkov who thwarted Spartak several times to cap a fine evening for himself. The matched ended in a 1-1 draw leading onto penalties which Lokomotiv won 4-2. Lokomotiv brought in reserve goalkeeper, Nikita Medvedev who turned out the hero by saving two spot kicks.
The 2020 Match Premier Cup tournament concludes this weekend with Spartak taking on Partizan Belgrade on Saturday 8 Feb and Rostov and Lokomotiv winding down the proceedings on Sunday 9th February 2020. All matches take place on Aspire Academy Pitch 5.