10.03.2019 21:33 h

Zenit edge Ufa to maintain lead in Russia

Zenit St Petersburg battled back from a goal down to beat Ufa 2-1 to maintain their lead in the Russian Premier League on Sunday.

The win left Zenit top with 40 points from 19 matches, six points clear of Krasnodar, who take on Orenburg on Monday.

CSKA Moscow, who thrashed Rubin Kazan 3-0 on Saturday, sit third, one point further back.

Zenit dominated from kick-off but it was Ufa's Moldovan midfielder Catalin Carp, who gave the struggling guests a surprise 24th minute lead when he converted Dmitriy Sysuev's assist from the right.

Zenit replied positively and their Iranian striker Sardar Azmoun and Argentinian forward Emiliano Rigoni scored one apiece within the space of just four minutes to give them the win.

"It was a tough win," Zanit manager Sergei Semak said.

"The first time when we've lost concentration cost us a goal. Luckily, we managed to score twice pretty soon.

"After the interval we should have scored more goals to avoid a nervous ending."

Elsewhere, reigning champions Lokomotiv Moscow kept alive their chances of retaining the Russian title with a confident 2-0 away win at Anzhi Makhachkala.

Peruvian winger Jefferson Farfan put the railway-backed side 1-0 up 21 minutes, firing the ball home from just inside the area after beating the Anzhi defence on a breakaway.

Forward Fyodor Smolov added a second with 10 minutes remaining to secure Lokomotiv's win.

"I'm pleased that we've got all three points," Lokomotiv head coach Yury Syomin said.

"We dominated the play in the first half completely. After the break we eased up pressure but in general we were the better side today."

Ten-time champions Spartak Moscow also kept up the pace with a 1-0 win in Moscow's oldest derby with Dynamo.

Skipper Georgy Dzhikia was the hero of the match as he netted the only goal with a well-struck freekick from 25 yards out with 16 minutes on the clock.