Lokomotiv Moscow continued its hunt for a berth on the European stage with a 1-0 victory over Anzhi Makhachkala in match day thirty-five of the Sogaz Championship of Russia. With the result Lokomotiv moves to a provisional third spot in the table, ten points shy of leader Zenit, ahead of Monday’s Moscow Derby clash between Spartak and CSKA.

With Railwayman manager José Couceiro deploying the attacking trident of Roman Pavlyuchenko flanked by Felipe Caicedo and Dmitri Torbinski on the right and left side respectively, the Cherkizovskaya faithful urged their side onward but chances were non-existent in the opening forty-five minutes.

At the re-start the Lokomotiv tactician summoned Alberto Zapater for Dmitri Tarasov yet the complexion did not change as both goalkeepers were relegated to spectators. However with seventeen minutes remaining in regulation time the Railwayman notched the contests lone goal with Felipe Caicedo not to surprisingly the architect. Accepting the ball from Magomed Ozdoyev mid-field, the Ecuadorian international surged down the right channel before sending a low provision to Denis Glushakov, with help by a clever dummy from Roman Shishkin, who then finished to perfection from twelve metres. Anzhi offered little to suggest a draw was forthcoming and after four minutes of uneventful added-time the match concluded 1-0 in favour of Lokomotiv Moscow.

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In the final contest of Sunday in match-day twenty-eight of the Sogaz Championship of Russia, Alan Dzagoev led CSKA Moscow to a dominating 5-3 victory over host Anzhi Makhachkala.

To the delight of their home supporters, Anzhi went in front at the fourth minute as effort via a corner from the right was stopped by CSKA ‘keeper Sergei Chepchugov but Samuel Eto’o shuttled the rebound, albeit in a questionable offside position, into the net. Leonid Slutsky’s men roared back with the leveller at the twenty-fourth minute as Vágner Love supplied the ball to Alan Dzagoev on the right with the Russian international delivering a perfect cross to the back post that Seydou Doumbia nodded into the net.

A minute after the re-start Seydou Doumbia gave CSKA the one goal advantage before a stunning piece of craftsmanship from Alan Dzagoev. Coming at the sixty-second minute the twenty-one year-old virtuoso put on a show out-duelling the Anzhi defenders before pushing the ball to Vágner Love on the left for the perfect finish from ten metres. With ten minutes remaining in the contest Alan Dzagoev dissecting the defending back line once more to play through Seydou Doumbia with the Ivorian managing to fight the ball into the net, his twenty-third goal of the campaign. Two minutes later Alan Dzagoev capped his brilliant evening as he latched onto a long ball, brought it down with his chest before firing a booming effort into the net from the edge of the area. Jan Holenda managed to squeeze into two late goals for Anzhi to bring the final score closer but it mattered little in the outcome as CSKA Moscow claimed the 5-3 victory.

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Courtesy of a last gasp strike from Magomed Mitrishev host Spartak Nalchik earned a 1-1 draw with Anzhi Makhachkala in match-day twenty-seven of the Sogaz Championship of Russia.

In a contest that Anzhi dominated for large stretches the visitors went out in front 1-0 at the twenty-eighth minute as Mbark Boussoufa latched onto through ball after a fortuitous deflection before chipping into the net from seven metres.

Anzhi had ample opportunity to double the margin including a Samuel Eto’o sending a late effort off the post but in added-time Magomed Mitrishev brought the home supporters to their feet with a shocking leveller. In one of their rare advances, Magomed Mitrishev raced onto a provision from the left by-line and ripped the ball into the net to settle the score as a 1-1 draw, honours even.

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Courtesy of Felipe Caicedo’s early strike, Lokomotiv Moscow defeated Anzhi Makhachkala 1-0 in the final contest of match day twenty-six of the Sogaz Championship of Russia.

The young striker, clearly one of the most promising to sign in Russia in many a season has quickly shown his vast potential since joining the Railwayman after the Copa América. Showing a level of professionalism and cagy predatory skills that defy his youthful age of twenty-three, the Ecuadorian international timed his run perfectly to ghost behind the Anzhi defenders and powerful head Vladislav Ignatyev’s cross from near the right by-line at the fifth minute. Though Anzhi had ample opportunity to level including Makhach Gadzhiyev’s goal bound effort blocked at the line by Denis Glushakov, they could not break through and with the final whistle Lokomotiv extended its unbeaten run to ten with a 1-0 victory and pulled level with Spartak at fourth in the table.

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In the final contest of match-day twenty-four of the Sogaz Championship of Russia Dan Petrescu’s Kuban Krasnodar edged Anzhi Makhachkala 1-0 courtesy of a stunning strike from Gigi Bucur.

The free-standing Anzhi side met their match as the Kuban faithful were out in full supporter for their side. Dan Petrescu’s side started quickly with Romanian international Gigi Bucur the centre of the storm. Following a missed opportunity when he sent his effort from the edge of the area over the bar the former Poli Timişoara made up for it with a goal that will surely be remembered as one of the highlight strikes of the year. After latching onto the ball on the left near mid-field he pushed forward to an open spot before firing a booming drive from thirty-five meters to the back of the net. For the balance of time, Anzhi was unable to breakthrough the well disciplined play of Kuban Krasnodar and with the final whistle Dan Petrescu’s side claimed the full three points with a 1-0 victory.

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In the final contest of Sunday in match-day twenty-three of the Sogaz Championship of Russia, Anzhi Makhachkala squeezed past Volga Nizhny Novgorod 2-1.

Volga leapt in front 1-0 barely three minutes after the opening whistle as following a blocked attempt the ball was played to Mihăiţă Pleşan well outside area with his follow-up effort taking a fortuitous deflection into the net. Anzhi was having problems driving forward but at the seventeenth minute levelled as Samuel Eto’o was played through a congested box, barely on-side but quickly deposited the ball past the Volga ‘keeper Vitali Astakhov.

With chances at a premium, Roberto Carlos lodged his fifth goal of the campaign as he sent a low free-kick from the left into the box that via a fortuitous deflection off Aleksandr Shulenin rattled to the near corner. For the balance of time Vola searched in vain for the equalizer as Anzhi Makhachkala claimed the 2-1 victory.

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Free-spending Anzhi Makhachkala needed a late goal from new signing Samuel Eto’o to rescue a 1-1 draw, honours even, with host Rostov in the final contest on Saturday of match-day twenty-one of the Sogaz Championship of Russia.

Anzhi, boasting a starting line-up that included the international pedigree of Roberto Carlos, Yuriy Zhirkov, Mbark Boussoufa and Balázs Dzsudzsák made little in-roads against their determined hosts. Chances were sparse until eighteen minutes remaining when Timofei Kalachev sent a well placed free-kick into the net to give Rostov the one-goal advantage. However eight minutes Yuriy Zhirkov crafted a brilliant equalizer as he navigated past three defenders on the right side of the area before delivering a cross for Samuel Eto’o that the new man turned into the net. Neither side was able to muster a serious change for the balance of the time as the match concluded as a 1-1 draw, honours even.

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Alexander Prudnikov continued to shine as the promising young striker’s second half goal sent host Anzhi Makhachkala past Dynamo Moscow 2-1 in match day twenty-one of the Sogaz Championship of Russia.

Anzhi took the lead mid-way of the half as Alexander Prudnikov pried the ball away from Dynamo defenders on the left before sliding to Yuri Zhirkov on his right with the former Chelsea man trying to send Mbark Boussoufa through. However, fortune played its role as a defending blunder allowed the ball to slip haphazardly through two defenders before Mbark Boussoufa turned to score from sixteen metres. A minute shy of the break, Ukraine international Andriy Voronin levelled for Dynamo as from close-range he sent in Aleksandr Kokorin’s fine provision from the right, his seventh goal of the campaign. However victory was in store for Anzhi as with eighteen minutes remaining in regulation time Alexander Prudnikov as he got enough of Aleksei Ivanov’s right wing cross to send it across the line to seal the 2-1 result.

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In a flourishing display, Spartak Moscow dealt free spending Anzhi Makhachkala a stern lesson with a 3-0 demolition in front of the faithful at Luzhniki Stadion in match day twenty of the Sogaz Championship of Russia.

Anzhi, riding high at fourth in the table as they entered, have seen this fortunes turned literally for the club with high acquisitions this year starting with Roberto Carlos, Mbark Boussoufa and Diego Tardelli, of recent Russian international Yuriy Zhirkov and news that Samuel Eto’o is readying to join the club. Training in Moscow, Anzhi has set their sights on a high finish and amassing the arsenal to make a run for the top spot but that did little to deter the determined Red-Whites who once again proved the makings of the sport reside with an investment in the youth.

From the opening whistle, Spartak responded to their voracious supporter’s song, putting forth a dominating performance that was marked by efficient two way play and more than a share of attacking brilliance. Red-Whites manager Valeriy Karpin, with a keen eye towards a tricky schedule that sees his side face Legia Warsaw next Thursday on the European stage, made one change to his starting eleven that devoured Terek Grozny last week with Rodri entering for Marcos Rojo.

Barely two minutes into the affair, Spartak pounded at the Anzhi doorstep as Artem Dzyuba headed a corner from the right off the back post. Maintaining disciplined shape, the Red-Whites provided little opportunity and at the tenth minute Ari took advantage of a miscue deep in the opponent’s final third before firing wide from the right side of the area. The hunt was continuous with Dmitri Kombarov sending a drive from twelve metres over the bar at the nineteenth minute with Artem Dzyuba shortly thereafter testing the Anzhi ‘keeper from distance. Five minutes shy of the hour, Andriy Dykan answered when called upon with the Spartak goalkeeper making a point-blank stop in one of Anzhi’s rare forward ventures. Still the faithful maintained their song and on cue Spartak took the lead they would not relinquish at the thirty-fifth minute as Krill Kombarov’s long cross from the left was flicked on Artem Dzyuba to Ari at the back post. Taking a step inside, he shifted to his left foot and scorched his sixth goal of the campaign to the roof of the net. The match was quickly a one-way street with Anzhi firmly on their heels and unable to manage the continuous onslaught. Teasing the goal with a few close calls, Spartak doubled the margin at the forty-second minute as Welliton shuttled the ball to Ari on the right who then surged to the by-line before lofting it to the back post where Dmitri Kombarov volleyed to perfection.

Anzhi, coming out of change-rooms for the second half may have wanted to stay there as Spartak showed no let up. A quick advance saw Artem Dzyuba’s effort denied from close range before Alexandr Kozlov entered for Dmitri Kombarov five minutes shy of the hour. After a modest series of efforts by Anzhi, Alexandr Kozlov notched a landmark goal for the intensely promising eighteen year-old to put the Red-Whites in front 3-0. Coming at the seventy-second minute he received the ball on the right, moved deftly in to the area and from the tightest of margin fired his first goal at the top flight to the near post. The perfect goal and a perfunctory point in Spartak’s commitment to youth and in so doing any thought of a comeback was put to rest as the match was fait accompli. Mr. Karpin then gave Emmanuel Emenike his debut, coming in for Ari with Alexsandr Zotov entering late for Rafael Carioca as Spartak Moscow closed out the evening with a 3-0 victory.

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In the opening contest of week nineteen of the Sogaz Championship of Russia, host Anzhi Makhachkala defeated Tom Tomsk 2-0 to maintain pace with the top of the table.

Anzhi, billowing in celebration with the appearance of Yuriy Zhirkov prior to the match, went in front 1-0 at the seventeenth minute as Alexander Prudnikov notched his second goal in as many weeks. Coming off the long ball, the twenty-two year old striker navigated to the left past the on-rushing ‘keeper and sent his effort into the far corner of the net.

With seven minutes remaining in regulation time Makhach Gadzhiev gave the hosts breathing space as Alexey Ivanov’s cross from the right by-line bounded loose before being driven into the net from eleven metres. With poise and disciplined defending Gadzhi Gadzhiev’s closed out the contest to perfection and claimed the full three points with a 2-0 victory.

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