Lokomotiv take advantage to Monaco
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Lokomotiv's Asatiani, left, and goalscorer Maminov celebrate.
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MOSCOW, Russia -- Lokomotiv Moscow will take a one-goal advantage into the second leg of their Champions League second round match against Monaco.
But Fernando Morientes stole a vital away goal for the French side in their 2-1 defeat.
Marat Izmailov and Vladimir Maminov scored the goals for the home side, but the Russians will be disappointed not to have secured a more comfortable lead.
Lokomotiv were comfortably leading 2-0 but Spanish striker Morientes' header on 69 minutes pulled Monaco back into the tie.
Izmailov opened the scoring with a solo effort on 32 minutes, beating two defenders before firing a shot into the roof of the net.
Maminov doubled the lead on 59 minutes when he beat Monaco keeper Flavio Roma with a low shot after a series of ricochets.
Soon afterwards Dmitry Loskov should have scored Lokomotiv's third after being set up by Izmailov, but he missed the target from close range.
Morientes took advantage of that reprieve minutes later when he was left unmarked at the far post to head home Jerome Rothen's free kick.
Lokomotiv substitute James Obiorah then wasted an even better chance to restore his side's two-goal lead two minutes from time but the Nigerian fired well wide with Roma at his mercy.
Good result
"It is a good result for us, even better than I had hoped for," said Lokomotiv coach Yuri Syomin, who said before the game he would settle for a goalless draw.
"It's a pity that we wasted so many scoring chances. Loskov, Ashvetia and Obiorah, just those three alone had several chances to put the game away," he added.
"Nevertheless, we played well as a team and aside from set pieces Monaco rarely threatened our goal."
Monaco coach Didier Deschamps was also satisfied with the outcome.
"It's good we scored an away goal but I must admit Lokomotiv played very well and we were lucky to come away with a draw," said Deschamps, whose team was missing skipper Ludovic Giuly and center back Sebastien Squillaci through injuries.
"But we must play much better in the second leg if we want to reach the last eight," added the Frenchman.
"Some of our players probably thought they would make the quarterfinals without much trouble after being drawn against the Russians and you can't do that at this level. I hope they learned a good lesson tonight."
