Russian Premier-Liga: It Looks Like Zenit

Half-way through the Russian soccer season with this weekend marking the fifteenth out of 30 matches, Zenit Saint Petersburg sits proudly on top of Russia’s Premier-Liga, unbeaten, seven points clear over second-placed FC Rubin Kazan.

Photo: Russian Premier-Liga: It Looks Like Zenit

Saturday’s matches brought another victory for Zenit, this time over Rostov, 3-1 away; it was Zenit’s eleventh victory in 14 games and with three draws, the Saint Petersburg side is undefeated. Second-placed Rubin Kazan defeated Dinamo Moscow in Kazan by 2-0 and first meets second next Saturday’s thriller in Moscow.

In Saturday’s other game, Alania Vladikavkaz beat FC Tom Tomsk 2-1, gaining three valuable points and moving up to 12 th position. Tom remains comfortably placed in mid-table with 18 points.

Sunday saw yet another spectacular result from the revelation team Spartak Nalchik, which went to Moscow to beat the powerful CSKA by 2-1, another feather in the cap of sensation coach Yuri Krasnozhan who has led his team to fourth place in the table at the halfway mark.

Moscow rivals Spartak and Lokomotiv both drew away; Spartak Moskva 0-0 with Krylya Sovetov in Samara and Lokomotiv 2-2 in Novosibirsk with Sibir. Spartak’s sixth position is extremely disappointing after a promising end to the last season.

Amkar Perm lost at home to Saturn (0-1) and Anzhi beat Terek Grozny in Makhachkala.

Classification after 14 games

1 FC Zenit St. Petersburg, 36 points; 2 FC Rubin Kazan, 29 points; 3 PFC CSKA Moskva, 27; 4 PFC Spartak Nalchik, 25; 5 FC Lokomotiv Moskva, 22; 6 FC Spartak Moskva, 20; 7 FC Rostov, 19; 8 FC Tom Tomsk, 18; 9 FC Dinamo Moskva, 18; 10 FC Terek Grozny, 17; 11 FC Anzhi Makhachkala, 16; 12 FC Alania Vladikavkaz, 15; 13 FC Saturn (Moskovskaya Oblast), 14; 14 FC Amkar Perm, 12; 15 FC Sibir Novosibirsk, 9; 16 PFC Krylya Sovetov Samara, 9.

Aleksei FEDEROV

PRAVDA.Ru