Zenit and Spartak lead title contenders in Russia
MOSCOW: Zenit St Petersburg and Russia’s most decorated club Spartak Moscow moved clear at the top of the league with victories on Wednesday night.
Zenit romped to a 4-1 win at Samara while Spartak sneaked past FC Krasnodar 3-2.
The results left Zenit top on goal difference with both teams on 23 points from 10 matches.
Reigning champions CSKA Moscow, who were held to a 0-0 draw by Anzhi Makhachkala, sit third on 21 points.
Zenit trailed 1-0 after Belgian defender Reginal Goreux opened the scoring with a close range strike after beating the offside trap to slot past goalkeeper Yury Lodygin.
However, just three minutes after the interval Brazilian forward Hulk fired home a rebound from just inside the box to level the scores.
Three minutes after that, midfielder Oleg Shatov put Zenit into the lead when his shot from outside the area beat Samara goalkeeper Sergei Veremko courtesy of a slight deflection.
Hulk made it 3-1 with his fourth goal of the season before Shatov rounded off the scoring with 11 minutes to go, sending a precise shot into the top corner.
“We played a good match today. My team played solid football, created plenty of moments and scored four goals,” Zenit manager Luciano Spalletti said.
“My players are true professionals. In the interval I asked them to up the tempo and precision and in the second half everything went our way. I’m very pleased with their performance and of course with the result.”
Meanwhile, Spartak got off to a flying start, clinching the lead in the fourth minute through Spanish midfielder Jose Manuel Jurado, who fired the ball into the top corner with a 30-yard screamer.
The visitors levelled through Uruguayan fullback Mauricio Pereyra’s 20-yard shot.
Striker Yura Movsisyan put the hosts back in front and Jurado notched his second to give Spartak a seemingly comfortable 3-1 advantage.
However, Isael da Silva reduced the arrears in the 68th minute from 30 yards to give the hosts an uncomfortable last quarter to see out the victory. — AFP