Opponent of the Gym in the round of 32 of the Europa League, Lokomotiv Moscow is a club not well-known to the general public.
Leader of the Russian championship, it includes former Nice player Pejcinovic in its ranks.
Due to the winter break, Lokomotiv Moscow’s last official match dates back to December 11th (a 3-1 victory at FC Tosno). It was their 14th victory in the championship (in 20 matches).
Since then, they have played friendly matches in preparation for the game against OGC Nice. Their coach, Yuri Semin, believes that his team is “not at 100%” but that his team can win thanks to “their will and determination.”
First Everywhere
Leading the Russian championship by a wide margin, Lokomotiv has an 8-point lead over their closest competitor, Zenit Saint Petersburg.
In the Europa League, they finished first in a group consisting of FC Copenhagen (Denmark), Sheriff Tiraspol (Moldova), and Fastav Zlin (Czech Republic).
Some Strong Individuals
Among the Russian squad, some well-known faces in world football are recognizable.
The first left a good memory in Nice. He was paired, for 4 years (2010-2014) at the heart of the Nice defense with a certain Renato Civelli. He is the Serbian defender Nemanja Pejcinovic. Now 30 years old, he begins his 4th season in Russia, having participated in 78 matches.
Also featured are Vedran Corluka (ex-Tottenham), Igor Denisov (Dynamo Moscow), and Maciej Rybus (ex-OL).
Up front, Eder, the tormentor of the French team in 2016, is also present. He is accompanied by Peruvian Jefferson Farfan and Brazilian Ari, who caused a lot of trouble for the Gym last year with the club of Krasnodar (2 goals).
