On March 14, Lokomotiv Moscow faced a dramatic 6:7 defeat to Baltika Kaliningrad in the Russian Cup RPL Path quarterfinal rematch. Regular time finished 1:1, setting the stage for a tense shootout that ultimately favored Baltika.
Lokomotiv began brightly, taking the lead in the 3rd minute. Dzyuba sent a through ball to Glushenkov, who wasted no time finding Tiknizyan. The Armenian international then beat the goalkeeper in a one-on-one duel and tucked the ball home to give Lokomotiv the early advantage.
The pace of the game shifted after the break when Danila Kozlov outmaneuvered Mitai and struck a shot past Lantratov to equalize. The match remained tight as both sides pushed for a decisive breakthrough, but the deadlock persisted through the second half and extra time, forcing a decisive penalty shootout.
From the spot, Baltika held their nerve with greater accuracy, while Dzyuba and Pinyaev from Lokomotiv missed their attempts, tipping the balance in favor of the visitors. The shootout result sealed Baltika’s progress to the semi-finals, despite Lokomotiv’s early dominance and the night’s dramatic turn.
Earlier, the first leg in Kaliningrad had ended in a 2:2 stalemate, leaving Baltika with the advantage of advancing on aggregate. This outcome reflected the volatile nature of knockout cups, where short spells of quality from either side can decide a tie in dramatic fashion.
Meanwhile, notable competitors CSKA and Zenit had already secured places in the Russian Cup RPL Path semi-finals, with CSKA overcoming Rostov on aggregate and Zenit defeating Dinamo. The forthcoming March 15 draw would determine the remaining semi-final pairings, heightening anticipation for the next stage of the competition.
As for the trophy itself, the current Russian Cup holder is CSKA, who clinched the title in the previous final after a penalty shootout victory over Krasnodar. This season, CSKA’s campaign concluded with a defeat to Khimki, ending their defense of the cup in the later rounds. Spartan ambitions to reach the semi-finals had already been realized by Spartak in prior rounds, underscoring the unpredictable and fiercely competitive nature of the cup this year.