Lokomotiv on track to qualify

Grazer AK 0-2 FC Lokomotiv Moscow
FC Lokomotiv Moscow took a significant step to booking their place in the UEFA Champions League first group stage by recording a comfortable away victory at Grazer AK's expense.

Early goal
The Moscow side had to wait just six minutes to open the scoring in the first leg when their South African international Jacob Lekcetho left Dieter Ramusch floundering as he connected with Gennadi Nizhegorodov's through-ball to beat Andreas Schranz in the Graz goal. From then on, the result never seemed in doubt as Lokomotiv kept their Austrian opponents at bay with some ease.

Loskov free seals Graz's fate
Graz, under new coach Christian Keglevits, had opted for an attacking approach, but never consistently threatened the visitors as René Aufhauser and Nikola Milinkovic wasted their best opportunities of the opening period. The visitors then put the game beyond their Austrian hosts after 42 minutes when the impressive Dmitri Loskov fired a free-kick into the back of the net from 20 metres.

Easy for Ovchinnikov
Lokomotiv retreated into their defensive shell for the second 45 minutes, and while Grazer, who earned their place in the competition after Austrian champions FC Tirol Innsbruck's demotion, had good scoring chances through Roland Kollmann and Ronald Brunmayr, they never really troubled Sergei Ovchinnikov.

Spartak waiting
There is little to suggest that a major surprise will take place in Moscow in two weeks' time and Lokomotiv look like matching last season's achievement of a place in the first group stage. It is the least their fans demand, not least because city rivals FC Spartak Moscow have automatically qualified.