12.05.2019 20:52 h

Title winners Zenit battle back to down CSKA

Russia's newly-crowned champions Zenit St Petersburg battled back from a goal down to beat CSKA Moscow 3-1 on Sunday.

The confident win in front of a 52,000 home crowd was the icing on the cake for Zenit, who claimed the title last week with a 1-1 draw at Akhmat Grozny after closest challengers Lokomotiv Moscow were beaten 2-0 by Arsenal Tula.

The Saint Petersburg side are now nine points clear of Lokomotiv with two matches to go. Krasnodar are third, two points further back.

CSKA, who desperately needed points to keep alive their slim chances of Champions League qualification, started aggressively, with midfielders Jaka Bijol and Ilzat Akhmetov picking up yellow cards.

But in the 30th minute Ivan Oblyakov put CSKA in front, firing the ball under the crossbar from 14 yards out off a Mario Fernandes cross from the right.

In the 38th minute Argentinian forward Sebastian Driussi had Zenit fans on their feet when he levelled with a low shot from the edge of the box.

In the 62nd minute Artem Dzyuba provided the assist to the unmarked Emiliano Rigoni in the area and the Argentinian, who replaced Sardar Azmoun just a minute earlier, kept his cool to hammer into the corner to put Zenit in front.

Driussi netted his second to seal Zenit's well-deserved win with four minutes remaining.

After the match Zenit received the league trophy for a fifth time.

"I'd like to thank my boys, they made this day the real holiday," Zenit manager Sergei Semak said. "The victory and the title, today we have everything."

Spartak Moscow, who struggled throughout this season, edged visitors Ufa 1-0 to go fourth reviving their hopes of a place in Europe next season.

Cape Verde striker Ze Luis netted the only goal with an eight-yard header off a right-wing cross by Paraguayan Lorenzo Melgarejo in the 11th minute.