CSKA experienced very mixed fortunes, the two Spartak’s clashed, Zenit finally troubled the scorers, and the sack-race claimed a second, high-profile, victim.
SIBIR NOVOSIBIRSK 1 – 4 CSKA MOSCOW
Experienced stopper Sergey Ignashevich opened the floodgates by beating the Sibir defence and ‘keeper to Alan Dzagoev’s in-swinging corner to put the Armymen ahead on 11mins.
Brazilian youngster Guilherme then doubled the lead in first-half added-time by collecting Keisuke Honda’s pass inside the area, before showing lovely technical ability to turn and roll a neat finish into the bottom corner.
On 54mins, Dzagoev then surged into the right-channel of the Sibir box before squaring a pass to Tomas Necid for an easy finish from six yards.
Dzagoev was clearly enjoying his central midfield role and it was he who sent the Moscow giants four-up after 73mins when he raced into the right-side of the box from Necid’s pass to slot home.
Minutes later, the home fans finally let loose a cheer as Tomas Cizek’s speculative shot took a big deflection to leave Akinfeev flat-footed.
Despite leaving them three points adrift at the bottom of the table, the Sibir fans were pleased with the efforts shown.
DYNAMO MOSCOW 1 – 0 SATURN MOSCOW
After 72mins of what looked to be another winless match, Dynamo decided to forget about the footy and play pinball instead, with immediate results.
A messy corner ended up with Epureanu swinging a boot and sending the ball ricocheting around the six-yard box – racking up hundreds of bonus points – before all the fun was curtailed by the bloody thing rolling into the net. Dynamo were then seen fumbling around for more change but apparently “fatty” Voronin had already spent it on sweets and pop.
In the event, Dynamo sacked manager Andrey Kobelev despite this result. Still, it ended that winless run.
LOKOMOTIV MOSCOW 2 – 1 TOM TOMSK
With Olexandr Aliev restored to the starting line-up after last week’s injury, Loko were a side transformed.
On 33mins, Denis Glushakov surged through the centre, beating three Tomsk defenders and cracked home a lovely goal from outside the area.
And a couple of minutes before the half-time oranges, that man Aliev notched his sixth of the season. After poor defending by Sibir out on the left, the ball broke to the Ukrainian midfielder inside the box. He showed great composure to jink inside his man to fire a low left-foot shot into the bottom corner.
Sergey Kornilenko registered a late consolation goal for Tom on 83mins.
SPARTAK MOSCOW 0 – 0 SPARTAK NALCHIK
The Muscovites easily had the lion’s share of this encounter (73per cent to 27per cent of possession) but the Meat are still waiting to mature.
Nalchik, though, will be well pleased as they kept their more illustrious namesakes at bay with only 10 men for over an hour, meaning they stayed top of the pile.
ZENIT ST PETERSBURG 0 – 0 TEREK GROZNY
Like Rubin, Zenit have struggled to create and score chances and have really relied on their tight defence to guide them into fourth, and they were held to a second consecutive goalless draw here.
Just as Footy Matters predicted, the decision to oust Anatoly Davydov with Luciano Spalletti seems to have derailed the free-flowing, free-scoring play of a side that ended last year’s campaign as the league’s most in-form side.
Still, Spalletti may have been exonerated had Danny not had his eighth-minute penalty saved by Andriy Dikan.
With Terek employing their favoured swift counter-attacking style, chances and the balance of play swung from one side to the next all game but after goals chalked-off for offside, for both teams, as well as a few posts being rattled, the game finished nil-all.
RUBIN KAZAN 0 – 0 ANZHI MAKHACHKALA
The reigning champs are still to find their shooting boots, with only five scored thus far, and they were firing blanks again here.
A game short on quality chances, highlighted the extent to which the Ruby miss Alejandro Dominguez, the mercurial Argentine whom they lost to Valencia over the summer.
Worse still, Rubin’s main striker Aleksandr Bukharov was forced off ten minutes before the break.
ROSTOV 0 – 1 ALANIA VLADIKAVKAZ
A second win on the bounce for the Snow Leopards saw Alania pull four points clear of the relegation berths.
Bulgarian Ivan Stoyanov rifled home a half-volley after 13mins. It was his fist for his new club and, ultimately, it proved the winner. Good saves from Alania’s promising young goalie, Mikhail Kerzhakov also contributed.
KRYLYA SOVETOV SAMARA 1 – 1 AMKAR PERM
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned – nor, apparently, a football club on the brink of administration, for Krylya were remarkably disciplined here and, at times, thrusting.
Amkar are again doing well under Rashid Rakhimov and a win would have taken them into fifth, a fact that only highlights what a good result this was for the ailing Samaran team.
In what proved to be a very tight affair, Ruslan Adzhindzhal’s close-range header from Tkachev’s inviting cross broke the deadlock after nine minutes.
With 24mins left to play, it was a set-piece that brought the Ural Mountains side level: Anton Bober’s swung in a lovely free-kick that Mitar Novakovic met with some force to head past Eduardo Lobos in goal.
AND FINALLY…
CSKA MOSCOW 0 – 2 ZENIT ST PETERSBURG
Due to European commitments, CSKA had to postpone this clash and they surely must wish it had been postponed a little longer as the Saint Petersburg side finally found their shooting boots after firing blanks in their last two outings.
Zenit were on top from the start and were ahead through a Krizanac header, from Rosina’s poorly defended corner, after just five minutes.
Zenit continued to trouble the CSKA goal but it wasn’t till Alexander Kerzhakov ran down the left-hand channel before cutting inside to crash in a 65min wonder strike that they added to their lead.
The result leaves the Armymen trailing Zenit and Spartak Nalchik by a point with all sides level on matches played.