The opening of the football season saw FC Baltika, the league`s newcomer, experience its first defeat. A late goal from CSKA`s Igor Diveev, scored just 20 seconds before the final whistle, secured a 1-0 victory for the «Army Men» over the RPL debutants. This win propelled CSKA to the top of the league standings, while Baltika dropped to sixth place as Spartak also claimed three points.
Spartak Moscow predictably triumphed at home against Pari NN with a 3-0 scoreline, featuring goals from Ugalde and a brace from Gedson. CSKA, however, once again clinched a win without displaying a stellar performance, echoing their previous match. The referee was checking his watch, allowing time for one last corner kick. Kislyak headed the ball towards the goalmouth, and Diveev, recovering from an illness that caused him to miss the previous match against Sochi, seized the opportunity to score. His return brought victory to the Army Men and leadership in the championship. Baltika`s impressive nine-match unbeaten streak was consequently broken. The visiting coach, Andrey Talalaev, naturally expressed his disappointment:
«It`s unpleasant to lose in the final minutes, but that doesn`t make it any easier. We played against a good team. Today, perhaps, CSKA and Krasnodar are the two teams in Russia that play football resembling actual football. I congratulate CSKA on being in the title race. However, fans should consider this: out of your last six games without penalties or red cards, I believe you haven`t won a single one. So, I didn`t see anything extraordinary in terms of quality today. In my opinion, this is because my boys executed everything exceptionally well. Our plan was to wear them down in the first half and try to hit them on the counter-attack in the second. But Andrade`s red card slightly disrupted our plans.»
Andrade`s expulsion occurred late in the game, and Kaliningrad simply ran out of steam. Second place, immediately behind CSKA, was taken by Lokomotiv. In their home fixture against Rubin, the «Railwaymen» didn`t particularly impress. The reason was clear: the absence of key wing players, Pinyaev and Bakaev, necessitated a tactical reshuffle. The head coach humorously suggested calling this forced solution «Galaktionov`s quadrilateral.» However, regarding questions of leadership – Lokomotiv held the top spot for a full day – coach Galaktionov remains cautious:
«It`s understandable that the league table is very tight. Any slip-up pushes a team down. Again, you can see that in terms of quality and level, any team can beat any other. And the level of preparedness of our opponents today is very high. There are no easy matches where you can comfortably achieve a result. Therefore, organization, discipline, and the preparedness of each team will determine everything. And, of course, individual talent. Those who can make a difference. It was very important for us to calm the team down internally after these series of draws, so to speak, so that the guys wouldn`t be flustered and would execute their actions correctly.»
Individual talent indeed makes a difference. Lokomotiv`s captain Barinov took a risk with a long-range shot and secured a 1-0 victory for his team. Dynamo successfully traveled to Samara, winning 3-2. Zenit crushed Orenburg 5-2 at the Gazprom Arena. Krasnodar drew 0-0 away to Rostov. Stanislav Cherchesov became the first coach in Akhmat`s history to start his tenure with seven undefeated matches, as Grozny swept aside Akron 3-0 this time.
Russian Premier League Standings
| Team | Points |
|---|---|
| CSKA | 21 |
| Lokomotiv | 20 |
| Krasnodar | 20 |
| Zenit | 19 |
| Spartak | 18 |
| Baltika | 17 |
| Akhmat | 15 |
| Dynamo | 15 |
| Rubin | 15 |
The upcoming 11th round of the Russian championship is split equally between Saturday and Sunday. The highlight of the football weekend will be two capital derbies. On October 4, Dynamo and Lokomotiv will clash at the VTB Arena. And on October 5, the public awaits the Russian «El Clásico»: CSKA vs. Spartak.
