GROUP A

A lot has been written this week of Aleksander Kerzhakov’s collision with Andriy Dikan during SPARTAK MOSCOW 1 – 2 ZENIT ST.PETERSBURG that left the Spartak goalkeeper with multiple fractures to his skull. It wasn’t so much the challenge in of itself that grabbed the column inches – it was accidental enough and, incredibly, Dikan played on! – but the fact that Spartak’s Brazillian striker, Welliton, was slapped with a six game ban after this collision with CSKA and Russia ‘keeper Igor Akinfeev.

That incident last summer left Akinfeev sidelined for the last six months with knee ligament damage while Welliton, whose challenge was deemed crudely and intentionally late, was banned by the authorities for six games. As such Spartak have been kicking up a stink about Kerzhakov and the apparent precedent set with Welliton’s punishment, not helped by the fact that Spartak and Zenit are bitter enemies.

But all that silliness rather takes attention away from a glorious stonker from the ageless Sergei Semak: a trademark late burst from midfield saw the veteran smash in Zyryanov’s pass off the under side of the bar after just 10mins. That helped Zenit on their way and it was Kerzhakov himself who doubled Zenit’s advantage from the spot on 63mins, after the Russian striker was tripped in the box by Pareja. Artem Dzyuba managed to muscle in a late goal for The Meat but it was only to be a consolation.

LOKOMOTIV MOSCOW 0 – 2 DYNAMO MOSCOW meant the Blue-Whites where the only Moscow club to win last weekend and they did so by ending a five game winless streak against a side who hadn’t conceded a goal since the Spring restart. Dynamo starlet Kokorin latched onto an error from Loko’s right-back, Shishkin, before expertly lobbing the goalkeeper 2mins before half-time. Zvejdan Misimovic then netted a penalty 2mins from full-time.

Loko had been threatening to overtake CSKA Moscow in second place but their defeat scuppered their hopes but with KUBAN KRASNODAR 1 – 1 CSKA MOSCOW things could’ve been worse. As it was, two minutes from time, the wonderfully named Anton Sekret coolly slotted home after Igor Lolo’s mishit shot found him free in the box, cancelling out Seydou Doumbia’s opener – his 27th goal of the season and the diminutive striker’s seventh header.

And in RUBIN KAZAN 1 – 0 ANZHI MAKHACHKALA Obafemi Martins outmaneuvered fellow ex-fellow Barclays Premier Leaguer, Chris Samba, to score the only goal of a game that saw Rubin leapfrog their mega-rich opponents and move into sixth place. Both sides, however, still harbour hopes of pipping Spartak to the last European berth as they’re only one point ahead of Rubin and two better off than Anzhi.

GROUP B

Alan Gatagov’s  overhead-kick after 16mins in SPARTAK NALCHIK 0 – 2 TOM TOMSK helped previously hapless Tomsk heave themselves off the bottom and switch places with their opponents after 15 games at the foot of the table. Nalchik, meanwhile, have now slumped to five defeats in five. Adrian Ropotan added a second but Gatagaov’s strike stole the limelight – however, it was not quite as good as  Kornel Salata’s effort for Rostov in round 36.

After notching his 100th goal last week, veteran Andrei Karyaka netted his 101st – a penalty – during VOLGA NIZHNY NOVGOROD 2 – 1 ROSTOV, perhaps the first game of any real quality in the relegation division since the league split.

More in-keeping with the way it’s been going at the bottom was AMKAR PERM 2 – 0 TEREK GROZNY where the Chechen’s contrived to hand the goals to Perm. First Mijailovic’s shot squirmed under the blunder prone Dzhanaev in goal before Martin Jiranek managed to head past Dzhanaev with five minutes left on the clock.

Elsewhere KRYLIYA SOVETOV SAMARA 1 – 1 FC KRASNODAR saw the Samarans fail to escape the relegation play-off zone.