Without Leal in their squad (due to shoulder pain), Lokomotiv Novosibirsk lost their home match against Dinamo Moscow with a score of 1:3. After the match, Plamen Konstantinov explained the reasons for the negative result from the 3rd round of the Russian championship and said how much time the renewed team needs to improve their play.
“We failed to convert two attacks after perfect receptions at the end of the third set. When you don't take advantage of your opportunities, you lose. We caught up, turned the tide of the match, and then missed two attacks, which I believe were key to this result. We couldn't psychologically cope with what happened at the end of the third set and virtually gave up the fourth set without a fight.

My opinion is that the team needs three to four months for the players to adapt. Now it's not just about teamwork. Kurbanov was without volleyball training for 10-12 days. It's noticeable. Leal also has shoulder problems. We are still trying to fix them. We have opportunities, but we need to take risks at key moments," Konstantinov explained to the Russian media.

Lokomotiv – Dinamo – 1:3 (25:22, 22:25, 25:27, 15:25)

Shakhbanmirzaev (16), Kurkaev (12), Ivovic (12) – Bogdan (17), Sokolov (16), Semyshev (10)

On September 23, Lokomotiv will visit Zenit Saint Petersburg.