It was all change in the RPL this weekend – Rubin lost (!), CSKA dropped down the table and Nalchik are out of danger (for now).
RUBIN KAZAN 1 – 2 AMKAR PERM
While Rashid Rakhimov, who started his second stint as Perm manager last month, steered his boys to a third win-on-the-spin, it was Rubin’s Alejandro Dominguez who got the scoreboard flickering. He curled his free kick with all the guile of a South American in form after only seven minutes.
Rubin’s Aleksandr Bukharov was back from injury but perhaps still rusty as he only hit Igor Usminsky’s post with a clipped half-volley.
The miss proved costly as the Red-blacks equalised through Predrag Sikimić. The Serb collected a flick-on wide-left before playing a neat one-two and burying a shot from 20 yards.
On 66 minutes Rubin failed to clear Nikola Drinčić’s inswinging free-kick. The ball dropped to Georgi Peev who swept in the winner, unmarked, from six yards.
Reeling Rubin remain top, four clear with seven to go but the title-race is back on.
Catch the action here:
Rubin Kazan vs. Amkar Perm 1-2 – Goals and Highlights
ZENIT SAINT PETERSBURG 2 – 0 CSKA MOSCOW
A scrappy first 45 produced little fluency or much in the way of chances – Fatih Tekke rattling a CSKA post from Konstantin Zyryanov’s corner an exception.
Consequently, it was no surprise that the two went into half-time separated only by a penalty kick.
Just as the oranges were being prepared, Sergei Ignashevich inexplicably leaned into a cross with his arm. Ex-Chelsea flop Mateja Kezman, on loan from PSG, stepped up to open his account.
Zenit’s defensive solidity (13 points from their past five matches and 371 minutes without conceding) rendered CSKA starlet Alan Dzagoev obsolete and home-manager Anatoliy Davydov must have hoped for more of the same after the break.
His requests were duly met, though Tom·š Necid, on for Guilherme, was industrious and helped the Army Men start the second-half well.
The problem was, Necid was wasteful and missed the ball entirely when leaping to bury a routine header. Later, Milos Krasić found himself at the business end of a flowing move, full of first-time one-twos, but couldn’t produce a finish.
With CSKA increasingly desperate, Alexey Berezutskiy, with nine minutes left, beat the offside-trap to chase a sluicing pass into the area. However, with team-mates expectant, the big left-back struggled to reach the ball and fell.
So it was left to Zenit’s man-of-the-moment, Vladimir Bystrov, to wrap things up.
Local hero-to-zero-turned-hero-again (he previously left Zenit for Spartak – an unforgiveable sin), Bystrov galloped down the left, on the counter, and hit a shot that arched over and away from Igor Akinfeev.
The virtuoso strike was the newly returned winger’s fourth-in-four and not only kept Zenit’s late surge on track but, surely, ended CSKA’s title hopes.
SPARTAK MOSCOW 5 – 0 TOM’ TOMSK
Spartak were just too fast, to decisive – too good. Fifteen minutes in and skipper Martin Jiranek headed-in Alex’s free-kick.
Poor defending met Pavel Yakovlev’s left-wing run, allowing him to find Eldar Nizamutdinov in the box. Yet more slackness saw the ball return to Yakovlev who converted on 25 minutes.
Egor Filipenko knocked in a third after Jiranek’s header came back off the post and the game was over before half-time.
“I don’t know whether to shoot myself or resign,” lamented Tom’ boss Valery Nepomnyashchy. Harsh, but the second half defending was lamentable. Denis Boyarintsev lumped a looping volley to the far post for Eldar Nizamutdinov to out-jump his marker and head a fourth. Six minutes from time Quincy Owusu-Abeyie, left untracked, finished in the box.
In truth, Spartak could have had more. Alex and Owusu both had goals incorrectly ruled offside while Nizmutdinov and Owusu were guilty of glaring misses. Still, the Meat stayed on the heat here to keep Rubin sweating.
ELSEWHERE…
Spartak Nalchik won only once in their first 18 games but have registered a fourth wins from five, hauling themselves into eleventh.
SPARTAK NALCHIK 1 – 0 ROSTOV
Shamil Asildarov turned-in Marat Bikmoev’s after 51minutes. Soon after, Rostov were reduced to 10 after Valikayev was booked for a second time. Nalchik saw out the remainder with ease.
TEREK 2 – 1 LOKOMOTIV MOSCOW
Clearly the best home record in the league counts for nothing when playing away. After 24 minutes Lahiyalov, darting onto a misplaced pass, crossed for Sadaev. More Loko sloppiness allowed Pancu a run on goal to drive in from 14 yards. Rodolfo pulled one back six-minutes from time.
FC MOSCOW 3 – 0 FC KHIMKI
Martin Jakubko chested down Aleksey Rebko’s cross to blast The Citizens in front after 43 minutes. Golyshev doubled the lead just after the hour with Vukić sealing the victory from the penalty spot.
DYNAMO MOSCOW 1 – 0 SATURN
Anton Shunin’s fine afternoon in nets for Dynamo provided the base for a confident win. Luis Aguiar with the winner on 13 minutes.
KUBAN 0 – 0 KRYLIA SOVETOV
The round’s final game left the Cossacks in the drop-zone.