Spartak midfielder Ruslan Litvinov discussed how the club’s legionnaires reacted to the challenging conditions during the 1/4 final Russian Cup clash with Lokomotiv. Reports suggested the match might be postponed because of the bitter cold, but weather readings taken an hour before kickoff confirmed play was feasible. Notably, the Red and White started the first half with eleven Russian players on the field.
Litvinov recalled, with a touch of humor, that the players were a bit stunned by the weather after the game. Even coming straight from a training camp to a venue where the temperature stayed above zero was surprising for some. The conditions were tough, and everyone pushed through the discomfort.
On February 22, Spartak edged Lokomotiv 1-0 in the first leg of the Russian Cup quarterfinals, with Danil Prutsev netting the decisive goal. The return match between the teams is scheduled for February 27.
In other quarterfinal action yesterday, Krylya Sovetov won at home against Dynamo 2-1, while CSKA defeated Krasnodar 3-0.
Return fixtures are set to take place from February 27 to March 1. On February 25, teams advancing along the Path of Regions will enter knockout play as part of the overall competition.
Formerly, Andrey Konovalov Artem explained why Dziuba stood out as the top performer in the Spartak match, highlighting his contributions on the field.