CSKA vs Fakel Standings: Oblyakov Penalty Lifts Army Men to 2nd After 1-0 Win

On Saturday, August 15, 2026, CSKA Moscow beat FC Fakel Voronezh 1-0 in Russian Premier League matchday 4 at the VEB Arena. Ivan Oblyakov converted a 71st-minute penalty, lifting the Army Men to second place with eight points while Fakel remained last in the table with one point after four rounds of the 2026–27 season.

The scoreline flattered CSKA. Referee Inal Tanashev disallowed four goals for offside — one for the hosts and three for Fakel — in a match where the visitors played bright football but could not convert their chances into standings points.

Editor’s note: This article draws on match reports from Championat, FOX Sports, and post-match comments reported August 15, 2026. Standings reflect the table immediately after matchday 4.

Match at a glance

Detail	Information
Competition	Russian Premier League (Alfa-Bank RPL) — Matchday 4
Date	Saturday, August 15, 2026
Kickoff	16:15 MSK (13:15 UTC)
Venue	VEB Arena, Moscow
Referee	Inal Tanashev
Final score	CSKA Moscow 1–0 FC Fakel Voronezh

Goal timeline

Minute	Team	Scorer	Notes
71’	CSKA	Ivan Oblyakov	Penalty after Igor Yurganov’s clumsy clearance struck Luciano Gondou

Goals disallowed (offside)

Half	Team	Scorer	Context
1st	CSKA	Timur Musaev	Daniil Krugovoy ruled offside in the build-up
1st	Fakel	Igor Yurganov	Offside flagged in the first phase of a set-piece attack
1st	Fakel	Axel Gnapi	Offside on 38’
2nd	Fakel	(unnamed)	Third Fakel strike chalked off roughly two minutes after Oblyakov’s penalty

Updated RPL standings

The result reshaped the early-season table at opposite ends:

Position	Club	Played	Pts	Matchday 4 context
2nd	CSKA Moscow	4	8	↑ Moved up after third win of the campaign
…	…	…	…	…
16th	FC Fakel Voronezh	4	1	↓ Remain bottom; sole point from draw vs Akhmat in round 3

CSKA’s eight points came from two wins and two draws — a 2-1 opening victory over Baltika, draws with Krylya Sovetov and Rostov, and now the home win over Fakel. Fakel’s lone point followed a 0-0 draw with Akhmat on August 10; they had lost their first two matches and fell 0-1 in Moscow despite creating the sharper moments on the day.

How the game unfolded

First half: goals ruled out, few clear chances

Dmitry Igidisamov’s CSKA lined up in a 4-1-4-1 with Timur Musaev leading the attack; injured striker Luciano Gondou started on the bench. Fakel were without head coach Oleg Vasilenko, who missed the trip for family reasons, with Sergei Omelyanchuk taking charge. Forward Maksim Turishchev was also unavailable through injury.

Neither side imposed itself early. Fakel were willing to counter and hold possession, but dangerous moments were scarce until Musaev thought he had opened the scoring — only for VAR to confirm Krugovoy was offside in the buildup.

Fakel had the ball in the net on 24’ when Yurganov turned past Musaev and fired home from a dead-ball situation, but Tanashev overturned the goal after video review found an offside in the initial phase of the attack. Gnapi appeared to have broken the deadlock on 38’, only to be flagged offside again. CSKA grew more dominant late in the half without creating a clear opening.

Second half: Gondou on, Oblyakov from the spot

Musaev made way for Gondou at halftime as Igidisamov searched for more punch up front. CSKA still struggled to penetrate — Krugovoy, Matija Popovic, and Gondou saw moves break down against a compact Fakel back line.

The breakthrough came on 70’ when Yurganov swung at a clearance inside the box and caught Gondou’s leg. Tanashev pointed to the spot; Oblyakov converted with a short run-up for 1-0.

Fakel responded almost immediately with another goal that was again ruled offside — their third disallowed strike of the afternoon. Omelyanchuk threw on Abdulla Bagamaev, Butta Magomedov, and Belajdi Pusi in an attempt to rescue a point, but CSKA held firm. Axel Gnapi, who had been lively throughout, was named man of the match despite the defeat.

Yellow cards went to Moses Nascimento and Firov Imran for CSKA, and Gnapi, Vyacheslav Yakimov, and Artur Gabarayev for Fakel. Goalkeeper Vladislav Torop kept a clean sheet for the hosts.

Reactions

Ivan Oblyakov thanked supporters in a club video message: “Not an easy game, but there are no easy games — thank you for the support, and we move on with three points.”

Defender Daniil Krugovoy struck a similar tone on Telegram: “For games like this you want to say: took three points and forget about it. Thanks to everyone for the support today — and always.”

Goalkeeper Vladislav Torop was more critical of CSKA’s overall level: “Hard to draw conclusions — there were offside goals. We kept a clean sheet, which is the main thing. Our defenders played well. Of course, three conceded goals from offside is always unpleasant. The trends are not very good. But it depends on the opponent. Rostov and Fakel play defensive football. Today we earned a penalty and scored — but we need to play better.”

Fakel coach Sergei Omelyanchuk praised his side’s football but lamented the fine margins: “For the second round in a row Fakel are showing attractive, bright football — but it doesn’t bring points. We lacked a little — a centimeter, you could say. To score three goals [disallowed for offside] and lose such a match… We had many moments. We have to accept it, analyze, and keep working.”

On the penalty incident, he called Yurganov’s swinging clearance a “childish mistake” — “In the box you clear without a wind-up. From nothing we get a penalty.”

What it means for both clubs

CSKA: points without fluency

The Army Men climbed to second and have a platform to press the leaders, but the performance raised familiar questions. Without a proven goal scorer — Gondou was nursing a knock and Igor Akinfeev remained sidelined — Igidisamov’s side needed a spot-kick to beat a team rooted to the bottom of the RPL standings. Torop’s frank assessment suggests the dressing room knows more convincing wins will be required against stronger opposition.

Fakel: bright play, no reward

Fakel arrived in Moscow off their first point of the season and, by Omelyanchuk’s account, deserved more from the afternoon. Gnapi’s man-of-the-match display and three disallowed goals underline how cruel the margins can be. Still, 16th place and one point after four rounds leaves survival as the overriding priority heading into a matchday 5 trip to face Orenburg on August 22.

What’s next

Club	Next fixture	Date
CSKA Moscow	vs. Lokomotiv Moscow (derby)	Friday, August 22, 2026
FC Fakel Voronezh	vs. Orenburg	Friday, August 22, 2026

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Discussion

A 1-0 scoreline and a reshuffled tournament table rarely tell the full story — especially when four goals are wiped out by the offside flag.

1. Fakel had three goals disallowed and still lost 1-0. Was this bad luck, poor finishing, or did CSKA’s defensive structure ultimately win the tactical battle?

Omelyanchuk said his team lacked “a centimeter” — how much should marginal offside calls shape how we judge this result?

2. CSKA are second with eight points but needed a penalty to beat the bottom club. Can Igidisamov’s side sustain a title push without a reliable striker while Gondou is injured?

Torop said “the trends are not very good” even after a clean sheet — is second place masking deeper problems in attack?

Share where you think CSKA and Fakel finish the 2026–27 Russian Premier League season.

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