Dynamo Moscow sit top of the 2026/27 Russian Premier League after 11 rounds. On Sunday, 18 October, Sandro Schwarz’s side beat CSKA 3-1, claimed a seventh consecutive league win and moved one point clear of Zenit. For a club whose last national title came back in the USSR, in spring 1976, that is cause for cautious optimism. We look at where this surge came from and how solid it really is.
Dynamo vs CSKA 3-1: a derby settled at the death
The match against CSKA at VTB Arena was a sticky affair for a long time. Konstantin Tyukavin opened the scoring in the 31st minute, Ivan Oblyakov equalised from the penalty spot in the 43rd, and the score stayed 1-1 almost until the end. The breakthrough came two minutes from the final whistle: Roberto Fernández scored in the 88th minute and Viktor Okishor settled it in the 90th. For CSKA this was a first defeat of the season — before the derby, Dmitry Igdisamov’s team had not lost in the league.
The blue-and-whites’ run looks even more impressive across all competitions. The win over CSKA was Dynamo’s ninth in a row including the Russian Cup.
Dynamo Moscow’s results in the 2026/27 Russian Premier League: from a patchy start to a run
The first four rounds promised nothing special: a goalless home draw with Krylia Sovetov, a 1-2 defeat to Baltika, a 3-1 win over Dynamo Makhachkala and a 0-3 thrashing by Zenit in St Petersburg. Four points from twelve — a typical start for a mid-table side.
Then came the run, which included both heavy and narrow wins:
- 3-1 at home to Rodina;
- 1-0 away to Lokomotiv;
- 2-1 in the derby against Spartak;
- 1-0 against Orenburg;
- 3-0 in Rostov;
- 1-0 away to Rubin in Kazan;
- 3-1 against CSKA.
The upshot: eight wins, one draw, two defeats, 18-9 on goals and 25 points. Four one-goal wins show that the team has learned to grind out even matches, and at the same time warn that this run’s margin for error is not endless.
Sandro Schwarz returns to Dynamo
The main change of the summer came in the dugout. On 22 May the club announced the return of Sandro Schwarz, with a three-year contract until the summer of 2029. The German coach replaced Rolan Gusev, who had led the team since November 2025 after Valery Karpin’s departure. Dynamo finished the 2025/26 season seventh with 45 points, and board chairman Alexander Ivlev called that outcome unsatisfactory.
Schwarz had already worked at Dynamo from October 2020 to May 2022. Back then the team played 57 matches under him (32 wins, 8 draws, 17 defeats), won league medals for the first time in 14 years — bronze — and reached the Cup final, where they lost 1-2 to Spartak. It was under him that Tyukavin, Yaroslav Gladyshev, Arsen Zakharyan and Alexander Kutitsky made their first-team debuts — Tyukavin, Gladyshev and Kutitsky are still in the squad today.
Between his two spells in Moscow, Schwarz had two very different experiences. He could not save Hertha Berlin: 28 Bundesliga matches, 22 points, last place and dismissal in April 2023. With the New York Red Bulls he reached the MLS Cup final in December 2024 and lost 1-2 to the Los Angeles Galaxy, and the following season the team missed the play-offs and the coach left the United States.
Dynamo Moscow’s players for the 2026/27 season
- Goalkeepers: Andrey Lunev, Igor Leshchuk, Kurban Rasulov, Ruslan Dzhioev.
- Defenders: Alexander Kutitsky, Dmitry Skopintsev, David Ricardo, Leon Zeidenzahl, Maxim Osipenko, Milan Maistorovic, Nicolás Marichal, Roberto Fernández, Juan Cáceres.
- Midfielders: Anton Miranchuk, Artur, Bakhtiyor Zaynutdinov, Bitello, Viktor Okishor, Daniil Fomin, Danil Glebov, Josué Casimir, Luis Chávez, Maximiliano Gutiérrez, Rúben Dias, Timofey Marinkin.
- Forwards: Ivan Sergeev, Konstantin Tyukavin, Yaroslav Gladyshev.
Konstantin Tyukavin stats: who makes the difference
Dynamo’s top league scorer is Tyukavin with five goals, while Okishor has three. In the overall Russian Premier League scoring charts, Maxim Glushenkov of Zenit leads with nine goals, his team-mate Alexander Sobolev has eight and Oblyakov seven. Tellingly, Dynamo’s 18 goals scored are not the best in the league: Zenit have 25, Spartak 21. But nine conceded is the second-best record after Spartak, who have eight. The blue-and-whites’ lead is built on resilience rather than attacking flair.
Russian Premier League table after 11 rounds in 2026/27
The gap is minimal, and the top five are separated by three points. The standings as of 20 October 2026:
- Dynamo Moscow — 25 points (8 wins, 1 draw, 2 defeats, 18-9 on goals);
- Zenit — 24 (25-13);
- Spartak — 23 (21-8);
- CSKA — 22 (19-12);
- Krasnodar — 22 (19-13).
Then comes a gap: sixth-placed Dynamo Makhachkala share their position with Baltika and Orenburg, all on 13 points. At the bottom, Fakel and Rodina have six points each.
Zenit, who in May became Russian champions for a record 11th time, are so far the highest scorers: in round 11 the St Petersburg side came from behind against Akhmat to win 3-2. Juan Carlos Carcedo’s Spartak thrashed Rubin 4-0. Murad Musaev’s Krasnodar, by contrast, are in decline: five matches without a win, a 3-3 draw with Lokomotiv and fifth place.
Dynamo Moscow’s schedule: the next matches
- 24 October — Akron, away (Russian Premier League);
- 27 October — Krasnodar, away (Russian Cup);
- 31 October — Akhmat, home (Russian Premier League);
- 7 November — Fakel, away (Russian Premier League);
- 22 November — Krasnodar, home (Russian Premier League);
- 26 November — Fakel, home (Russian Cup);
- 29 November — Krylia Sovetov, away (Russian Premier League);
- 6 December — Spartak, away (Russian Premier League), the last match before the winter break.
The league resumes in spring on 28 February 2027 with a home match against Rubin, and in the penultimate round, on 23 May, Dynamo will host Zenit. There is no European football for Russian clubs: UEFA extended the ban to the 2026/27 season as well, so the blue-and-whites will be watching the Champions League from the sidelines.
When Dynamo were last champions
Dynamo Moscow, founded in 1923, last won the national championship in spring 1976, back in the USSR. In Russian history the club has one Cup (1995) and the bronze of 2021/22 under the same Schwarz. Their home ground is VTB Arena, officially the Lev Yashin Dynamo Stadium, with a capacity of 26,121. Seven wins in a row is a serious statement, but not a guarantee: 19 rounds remain. The main question is whether the squad can handle a congested schedule in two competitions and whether the defence can maintain its current reliability. If so, Dynamo will have a real chance to end a half-century wait for the title.
Frequently asked questions about Dynamo Moscow
Who leads the 2026/27 Russian Premier League?
After 11 rounds, Dynamo Moscow are first with 25 points. Zenit are one point behind, Spartak two.
Who is Dynamo Moscow’s head coach?
The German Sandro Schwarz. He returned to the club in May 2026 and signed a contract until the summer of 2029; he first coached Dynamo between 2020 and 2022.
What was the score when Dynamo beat CSKA?
3-1 in round 11, on 18 October 2026. Tyukavin, Roberto Fernández and Okishor scored, while Oblyakov netted a penalty for CSKA.
Who is Dynamo’s top scorer in the 2026/27 season?
Konstantin Tyukavin — five league goals after 11 rounds. Viktor Okishor has three.
When were Dynamo Moscow last champions?
In spring 1976, in the Soviet championship. In the 2025/26 season the team finished seventh.
Where do Dynamo Moscow play?
At VTB Arena — the Lev Yashin Dynamo Stadium. It holds 26,121 spectators.
