Learn Hardcore Russian: Сегодня на стадионе идёт матч чемпионата. - Today, a championship match is taking place at the stadium.

Breakdown of Сегодня на стадионе идёт матч чемпионата.

Why is идёт used here? Doesn’t it usually mean goes or is walking?

Yes, идти literally often means to go or to walk, but in Russian it also has several extended meanings.

In Сегодня на стадионе идёт матч чемпионата, идёт матч means a match is going on or a match is taking place.

This use is very common for things that unfold over time, such as:

So here идёт does not suggest physical movement. It means the match is currently happening.

Why isn’t there a word for there is in the sentence?

Russian often does not use a direct equivalent of there is / there are in the present tense.

In English, you might say:

Russian usually expresses this without a separate word for there is. Instead, the sentence is built around the event itself:

So Russian sounds more like Today at the stadium a championship match is going on.

Why is it and not ?