In the 11th round of the Russian Premier League, Krasnodar hosted Khimki at the Krasnodar Stadium and secured a convincing 4-0 victory. From the opening whistle, the home side pressed high, controlled possession, and looked dangerous on the counter thanks to intelligent ball circulation and sharp off-ball movement. The breakthrough arrived in the 41st minute when John Cordoba finished off a well-placed pass from Sergei Petrov. Cordoba timed his run perfectly, slipping the ball past the Khimki keeper and sending the home crowd into a roar as Krasnodar took the lead.
The momentum continued after the break. In the 55th minute Joao Batchi cashed in on Cordoba’s vision, finishing off a well-worked sequence that stretched the Khimki defense and doubled the advantage. Cordoba played a key role in the move, delivering the assist that opened the path to a second goal. The scoreline looked set for Krasnodar to push on, and they did not disappoint. In the 73rd minute Cordoba struck again, registering his second goal of the night after capitalizing on a defensive miscue and calmly slotting home to make it 3-0.
The rout was completed in the 89th minute when Kevin Castano wrapped up the scoring, adding a fourth goal after a swift counterattack that caught Khimki off balance. The match underlined Krasnodar’s attacking efficiency and organization, with the front line linking up smoothly and the midfield pressing effectively to disrupt Khimki’s build-up play.
The result left Krasnodar atop the league table with 27 points, a tally that mirrored Lokomotiv Moscow’s, while Zenit St. Petersburg remained just behind on 26. Khimki, meanwhile, found themselves 13th in the standings, sitting in the relegation zone with eight points after 11 rounds. The performance reinforced Krasnodar’s status as a title-chasing side and highlighted the gap between the leaders and the lower portion of the table.
Looking ahead, Krasnodar are set to travel to Moscow to face Spartak on October 19 with a 16:30 kickoff Moscow time. Khimki will host Lokomotiv at the same kickoff on the same day, in what will be a crucial clash for both sides as the season progresses. Igor Osinkin, previously coach of Krylia Sovetov, was moved to tears after the loss, his emotions reflecting the pressure and high expectations that accompany a campaign playing out at the top end of the table.