Krychowiak and Smolov inspire flying Lokomotiv to huge win

FC Tambov 2-5 Lokomotiv Moscow
Saturday 24 April, Mordovia Arena

Goals: Tambov - Aliev (45+2), Kaykov (78); Lokomotiv - Krychowiak (40, 60), Smolov (47), Murilo (74), Rybus (79)
Man of the Match: Fedor Smolov (Lokomotiv)

Grzegorz Krychowiak struck twice to extend Lokomotiv’s remarkable winning streak, once either side of the break, to keep their loose title hopes alive. On the stroke of half time itself Azer Aliev briefly drew Tambov level with a wonderfully taken individual goal to cancel out Krychowiak’s simple tap-in from Fedor Smolov’s cross.

Smolov got on the scoresheet himself barely a minute into the second half with a brilliantly angled shot across Vitaly Sychev. On the hour mark Krychowiak hit his second of the game, and ninth of the season, before Murilo added a fourth.

Denis Kaykov pulled back a consolation with a little over 10 minutes remaining, but as if to rub it in, less than a minute later Maciej Rybus applied the coup de grace.

Tambov stay bottom on 13 points, while Lokomotiv close the gap to Zenit to six points ahead of the title decider next week.

Next RPL fixtures: Sunday 2 May - FC Rostov vs FC Tambov; Zenit St. Petersburg vs Lokomotiv Moscow