Sochi 2-2 Lokomotiv Moscow
Sunday 17 April, Fisht Central Stadium

Goals: Sochi - Margasov 10’, Rodrigo 43’; Lokomotiv - Isidor (pen) 36’, 48’
Man of the Match: Danila Prokhin (Sochi)
Sent off: Lokomotiv - Kuchta 60’; Sochi - Rodrigo 60’

That Sochi took the lead against Lokomotiv was perhaps not a huge surprise, but the source certainly was. Just 10 minutes in Victorien Angban burst into the box and lashed a powerful low shot that Guilherme did brilliantly to keep out. The loose ball fell to the dge of the area, where Timofey Margasov took it on his left foot to curl home from the edge of the area via a deflection for his first-ever RPL goal.

Gyrano Kerk had already missed an absolute sitter with a free header from a few yards out, but was reprieved 10 minutes before half time when Wilson Isidor converted from the spot to score in his sixth consecutive RPL match.

Right before the break though, Sochi were back in front. Christian Noboa curled a perfect outswinging cross into the box, where Rodrigao was left completely unmarked to thump a firm header into the corner.

Isisdor was having none of it though, and within three minutes of the restart had levelled for the second time in the match. Maciej Rybus’ cross was initially blocked on the left flank, but while most defenders switched off the Polish full-back volleyed the loose ball back into the box where the Frenchman glanced a well-worked header past Soslan Dzhanaev.

Just before the hour mark the game heated up somewhat when both Jan Kuchta and Rodrigao were sent off after a VAR review of a tussle in the Sochi penalty area. 

The tension subsided somewhat as both sides battened down the hatches, until two minutes to go when Noboa’s finessed touch rounded off what he though was an appropriately scrappy winner - only for a VAR review to rule it out for an offside in the buildup.

Vanja Drkusic made a remarkable gasoline clearance in the eighth minute of time added on to deny Dmitry Rybchinsky after Dmitry Zhivoglyadov’s clever work to set up the chance.

Sochi remain fourth on 43 points, while Lokomotiv stay sixth on 38 points.

Next RPL fixtures: Saturday 23 April - Lokomotiv vs Nizhny Novgorod; Sochi vs Akhmat