Batrakov is the main hub of Lokomotiv's attack
For Lokomotiv, the match against Baltika isn't simply a game without one of their leaders. It's a test of how well Mikhail Galaktionov's team can play without the player through whom almost all the quality in the final third passes.
Batrakov misses the match through an accumulation of yellow cards. Nyamsi is out for the same reason. Komlichenko is done for the season, and Montes will most likely be left out of the squad as well. So Loko lose not only their main creator but important options in both penalty areas at once: Komlichenko as the target for physical play up front, Nyamsi and Montes as the basic power in the centre of defence.
The main problem isn't that one creative player disappears without Batrakov. The problem runs deeper: without him the team loses several functions at once: the final pass, the shot from the second line, set pieces, crosses, receiving between the lines and the ability to speed up an attack with a single touch.
This isn't a cog falling out. It's an entire hub of the attack falling out.
He doesn't just rack up goals and assists, he creates chances
If you look only at goals and assists, Batrakov's influence is already huge: 13 goals and 9 assists in the RPL. But Lokomotiv's real dependence shows up in the advanced statistics.
In the league he has 1092 passes, 841 accurate passes, 80 key passes, 176 crosses, 57 accurate crosses, 70 shots, 33 shots on target. Per 90 minutes that's 40.88 passes, 3.00 key passes, 6.59 crosses, 2.13 accurate crosses and 2.62 shots.
These aren't the numbers of a player of isolated moments but of a constant participant in attacks. Batrakov doesn't just wait by the box to apply the finishing touch. He takes part in progression, receives between the lines, drifts into the half-spaces, crosses, shoots and makes decisions in the most congested zones.
The combination of 80 key passes + 9.99 xA is especially important. xA stands for expected assists, i.e. the quality of the chances a player creates with his passes. If Batrakov has almost 10 xA, his assists aren't a random collection of simple lay-offs before long-range shots. He genuinely creates good shooting situations for his teammates on a regular basis.
Crosses and set pieces: the hidden part of the dependence
The crosses deserve separate attention. Batrakov has 176 crosses, 57 of them accurate. That's 32.39% accuracy, and on average 6.59 crosses and 2.13 accurate crosses per 90 minutes.
For Lokomotiv this is critical: through Batrakov the team gets not only the ground pass between the lines but regular delivery into the box. He can cross from the flank, from the half-space, from a set piece, after drifting inside or in a fast attack.
That's exactly why losing him against Baltika is so unpleasant. Loko lose not only their final-pass player but one of their main takers of crosses and set pieces.
And without Komlichenko the simple plan of "pump it into the box" becomes far less convincing. When there's no Batrakov as the supplier of quality and no Komlichenko as one of the main targets, crossing football turns from a plan into a hope for a lucky bounce.
Batrakov has become a systemic player over two seasons
Last season matters as much as this one for assessing Batrakov. In the 2024/25 RPL he produced 14 goals and 7 assists in 29 matches. Back then you could still argue: a burst of freshness, the element of surprise, a lucky fit for the role after Glushenkov left.
But the current season has removed those questions. He already has 13 goals and 9 assists in 27 RPL matches. For the second year running Batrakov is holding a level of more than 20 goal contributions in the league.
This is no longer a flash. It's a stable role as the leader of the attack.
The second season matters even more than the first
Last season Batrakov was perceived more as a breakthrough player: young, sharp, brave, with a good shot and an instinct for appearing in the right zone.
Now his role has become broader. He doesn't only finish attacks, he shapes their quality before the shot. His profile has become more playmaker-like: more assist responsibility, more key passes, more crosses, more decisions in the final third.
This matters for assessing the dependence. Lokomotiv depend not on one type of Batrakov action but on his versatility.
Bakaev can provide a pass and a set piece. Pinyaev, speed and dribbling. Rudenko, movement and bursts. Vorobyov, finishing.
But in Batrakov all of that is joined together in one player. He can score himself, deliver the final pass, cross, shoot from the second line, play between the lines and accelerate the attack where others would choose the safe pass sideways.
The Russian Cup confirms it: he isn't a one-competition player
In this season's Russian Cup Batrakov is productive too: 8 matches, 4 goals, 2 assists, 6 goal contributions.
For the club season in total that gives:
35 matches, 17 goals, 11 assists, 28 goal contributions.
For an attacking midfielder that's the level not simply of the team's best player but of a system-defining footballer. He delivers in the league, in the Cup, with different line-ups around him and in different game scenarios.
The national team and PSG's interest as a marker of scale
There's a wider context too. Batrakov has already scored for the Russian national team: against Brunei, Zambia and Iran.
Yes, these are friendlies against opponents of varying levels. But the goal against Iran matters more than the others: it wasn't a decorative strike in a rout but a goal in a 2:1 win. So his productivity doesn't come down to Lokomotiv's club system alone.
He has quality of his own: movement between the lines, a shot, composure in the final third and quick decision-making.
From there the transfer backdrop follows logically. Rumours of PSG's interest in Batrakov have been circulating for a long time. This needs careful wording: not as official negotiations but as European interest and monitoring of the player. But the very fact of such noise is important.
Batrakov is already perceived not only as one of the RPL's best young players but as a potential export asset. For Lokomotiv that's flattering, but at the same time it underlines the dependence: a footballer of this level becomes too big an element for the team's internal structure.
Why Baltika is exactly the wrong match for such a loss
Baltika is an awkward opponent for a team without its main creative player. This isn't just a stylistic impression; the table and the defensive numbers confirm it.
After 28 matches Baltika have 46 points, 5th place, a goal difference of 37:18. They concede just 0.64 goals per match, one of the best figures in the league. Away from home Andrei Talalaev's team is compact too: 14 matches, 18 scored, 10 conceded, i.e. 0.71 conceded per game.
That's important context. Baltika don't have to open up, don't have to give away space and don't have to play open football. They can shut the centre, hand Lokomotiv the ball and wait for the attacks to become monotonous.
With Batrakov, Loko have a player capable of unlocking not space but density. That's the key distinction.
Against an open opponent you can run away through Pinyaev, Rudenko or Vorobyov. Against a closed one you need someone who will find the pass between the lines, shoot from outside the box or deliver a quality set piece.
Batrakov is exactly that player.
Without Batrakov, Loko risk becoming too predictable
The main risk for Lokomotiv is sterile possession.
The team can hold the ball a lot, work it to the flanks, cross, win the second balls, yet create few clean chances. That's a scenario that suits Baltika: the opponent appears to be attacking, but everything is readable, and real danger only comes after a ricochet or a set piece.
Without Batrakov, Loko may switch to a simpler plan: flank, cross, second ball. But without Komlichenko that plan sags too. Which leaves another route: play faster, lower the risk and use more cut-backs instead of high crosses.
The trouble is that such football demands precision. Cut-backs shouldn't be for the sake of quantity but aimed at specific runs. Switches shouldn't just go to the free flank but come with acceleration. Shots after second balls shouldn't be random but prepared. Batrakov was exactly the player who added that quality of the final action to the attack.
Without him Loko may keep the territory but lose the edge.
There's another problem: the centre of defence
The main loss initially seemed an attacking one: without Batrakov Lokomotiv become simpler in creation. But given the personnel situation, the picture is broader.
Nyamsi definitely won't play because of the yellow cards. Montes, if he really is left out of the squad with a probability of around 90%, drops out of the centre of defence as well. For the match against Baltika that's very unpleasant.
Talalaev's team knows how to live off set pieces, second balls and knock-downs. It doesn't need to combine for long to create pressure. It's enough to win the header, get a foothold, collect the second ball, earn a corner or a free kick.
Without Nyamsi and, probably, Montes, Lokomotiv lose size, aerial ability and the familiar connections when defending the box. That's especially dangerous if the attack without Batrakov can't score quickly and force Baltika to open up.
The result is a double risk:
Loko need to create without their main creative player and defend without their main power in the centre of defence.
This is no longer just one leader missing. It's a match in which several of the team's usual pillars could vanish at once.
How Lokomotiv can compensate for Batrakov's absence
Replacing Batrakov with one player is impossible. His functions will have to be shared out.
Bakaev should take the set pieces, the final pass and part of the play between the lines. But he doesn't need to copy Batrakov. Better a free role with drifts into the half-space, looking for a shot after second balls and linking the flanks.
Pinyaev is needed as a source of speed and 1-v-1s. Without Batrakov, what matters is not only passes to feet but runs in behind and attempts to stretch Baltika's defence.
Rudenko or Saltykov can add verticality from the other flank. Against a compact block it's important not just to hold the width but to attack the space behind the full-back.
Vorobyov becomes the key forward. But not as a target man for high crosses; as a player of bursts, movement and finishing cut-backs.
Karpukas, Prutsev and Lucas Vera must move the ball faster. The longer Loko drag the attack around the perimeter, the more comfortable Baltika will be.
The main thing is not to try to play as if Batrakov were there. His absence changes the nature of the attack.
The plan should be about speed, not crosses
The most logical option for Lokomotiv is not to simplify the game down to crosses. Without Komlichenko and without Batrakov, that plan looks far too convenient for Baltika.
A different emphasis is needed:
- quick switches to the flanks;
- cut-backs rather than crosses for their own sake;
- Vorobyov's runs in the box;
- Pinyaev and Rudenko in 1-v-1 situations;
- Bakaev in the half-spaces and on set pieces;
- shots after second balls;
- a high tempo after winning the ball back.
With Batrakov, Loko can break teams down through quality: a subtle pass, a shot, a set piece, an unexpected acceleration.
Without Batrakov they'll have to break them down through volume and tempo. That's possible, but less reliable. Especially against Baltika, who know how to suffer, shut the box and calmly ride out spells of pressure.
Summing up
For the current Lokomotiv, Batrakov isn't just the best attacking player. He's the main mechanism for turning possession into a chance.
He combines several routes to goal in one player: the pass, xA, crosses, set pieces, the shot, second balls, play between the lines and changes of tempo. That's why his absence against Baltika is a loss of 9/10 in significance.
Not because Lokomotiv will necessarily fall apart without him. But because the team will become simpler.
Less play between the lines. Fewer shots from the second line. Lower quality on set pieces. Fewer unexpected decisions in the final third.
And now another layer is added to that: without Komlichenko the physical plan up front sags, without Nyamsi and, probably, Montes, so does the solidity when defending the box.
The match against Baltika becomes a very unpleasant test for Loko. They need to create without their main creative player and defend without their usual power in the centre of defence at the same time.
With Batrakov, Loko can break teams down through quality. Without Batrakov they'll have to break them down through volume.
And against Baltika, volume by itself guarantees almost nothing. Here you need a player who turns a half-chance into a chance. For Lokomotiv that player was Batrakov, and he's precisely the one who won't be there in this game.
Sources: FootyStats: Batrakov's advanced RPL statistics; Bombardir: Russian Cup statistics; Championat/Sport24: the suspensions of Batrakov and Nyamsi; FC Lokomotiv: Komlichenko's injury; Rusfootball: Baltika statistics; Championat/Legalbet: reports of PSG's interest and Lokomotiv's position.
