CSKA Moscow – Lokomotiv on May 17: team uniforms, analytics and forecast
In the final round of the 2025/26 season of the Russian Premier League (RPL), CSKA and Lokomotiv will meet in the Moscow derby. The Railwaymen continue to fight for bronze medals, and it is extremely important for Mikhail Galaktionov's team to score high scores in the match against the Army team. CSKA, in turn, have decided on a mathematical chance to rise to third place, however, after the change of head coach, it will be significant for the team to finish the season positively and remain in the top five teams. All the details are in the Izvestia article.
Form of commands
Lokomotiv performed worse in the spring part of the championship than before the winter break. The red and green were serious contenders for gold medals, but they made a number of misfires and dropped out of the competition. In the last five rounds of the RPL, Galaktionov's team scored only eight out of 15 potential points. The most painful defeat for the club was against Krylia Sovetov on the road with a score of 2:0. In addition, the railwaymen could not defeat Zenit St. Petersburg (0:0) and Dynamo Moscow (1:1) in their arena. At the same time, in the 29th round, Lokomotiv defeated the main rival for third place, Kaliningrad Baltika (1-0), which claims the main opening of the season.
CSKA became one of the main disappointments in the spring part of the championship. The team could not confidently enter the game after the break and lost a lot of points. In addition, head coach Fabio Celestini left the team, and Dmitry Igdisamov was appointed to temporarily lead the main squad of the red and blue.
In the last five matches in the championship, CSKA has won only one game, a 2-1 away loss to Pari Nizhny Novgorod. At the same time, the Army team lost to Zenit on their own field (1:3) and drew three times.: 0:0 against Rubin Kazan, 1:1 against Rostov and 1:1 against Krylia Sovetov.
Match scenario, game forecast
This meeting is not only important for both teams, but also interesting for neutral fans to watch, as the derby is always an emotional uplift and a desire for both teams to snatch victory, regardless of the standings. However, in this case, the importance of the match is added by the fact that Lokomotiv can take the bronze medal for the first time in five years. At the same time, the red and blue cannot be discounted, since this season the Army team defeated Lokomotiv twice in the Russian Cup, although they lost in the first round of the championship with a crushing score of 3:0. In addition, Loko's main central defender Cesar Montes and striker Nikolai Komlichenko will miss the match for health reasons. while goalkeeper and team captain Igor Akinfeev and midfielder Kirill Glebov will not play for CSKA. Lokomotiv midfielder Zelimkhan Bakayev also noted the fundamental importance of the match with CSKA.
"This game is not for a medal, but for the image of the club. I hope everyone will tune in and fit in optimal shape," the player emphasized.
The meeting between CSKA and Lokomotiv will take place on May 17 at 18:00 Moscow time at the VEB Arena.
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