Lokomotiv Moscow — CSKA Moscow : Match Preview and Prediction for October 18,2025

Lokomotiv Moscow’s Unbeaten Streak and Recent Form

Lokomotiv remains the only team in the Russian championship to date that has not yet experienced the bitterness of defeat, despite 11 rounds having passed since the start of the season. However, this impressive unbeaten run doesn’t place Galaktionov’s squad at the top of the league, primarily because almost half of their matches during this period have ended in draws (5), with victories being only slightly more numerous (6).Significantly, before the international break, the Red-Greens secured a thrilling 5-3 victory in a Moscow derby shootout against Dinamo, defeating Karpin’s team despite trailing 1-2 earlier in the match. The early second-half struggles ultimately didn’t lead to a loss of points. Now, another challenging home derby awaits against “the Horses” (CSKA), which will be incredibly tough for the railwaymen. On a positive note, their infirmary is empty, and even Sergei Pinyaev has recovered after several months out with injury, playing and scoring in a closed-door friendly half-match for Loko against Bolivia (3-0).

CSKA Moscow’s Championship Lead and Key Absences

Here we have the league leaders, who fully deserve their current top spot. Before the international break, the Red-Blue army secured a derby victory against Spartak with a rapid three-goal start. While they then protected their lead and almost lost it, Celestini’s first “Derby of All Russia” concluded with a 3-2 win.Following that, a new derby awaits, though CSKA has already faced Lokomotiv twice in the Russian Cup group stage. The match in Cherkizovo against Batrakov and co. will not be easy, especially considering Karpin utilized five CSKA players in the starting lineup for the Bolivia match, giving them significant minutes, while Barinov and Silyanov played for Loko. Therefore, neither the Red-Greens nor the Army Men will be in ideal condition regarding freshness. For this derby against Lokomotiv, CSKA will be without Moises (suspension due to accumulated cards, a significant loss) and De Luciano, while Akinfeev and Musaev remain doubtful. Despite these increased absences, the challenge falls to Celestini to navigate this tough test.