CSKA moves seven points clear

With second-placed Anzhi Makhachkala held at home by Krylya Sovetov, CSKA enhanced its title prospects thanks to a 17th-minute goal from attacking midfielder Alan Dzagoev.

It was a bad day for Anzhi Makhachkala but it might have been worse.

It had a one-man advantage from the 37th minute of its match after Krylya Sovetov had Alexander Amisulashvili sent off, but the visitor which stands third bottom in the table then took a 64th-minute lead through Sergey Kornilenko.

Anzhi had a long trip to England during the week and the travelling, plus the UEFA Europa League defeat it suffered at the hands of Newcastle United, may have been taking its toll.

However it at least salvaged some reward, with Lacina Traore netting an 81st-minute equaliser.

Third-placed Zenit St Petersburg also went out of the Europa League in midweek as Swiss side Basel took its scalp, but Zenit returned to winning ways, edging a home tussle with Mordovia Saransk by a 1-0 margin.

Striker Hulk put Zenit ahead after 55 minutes, and Mordovia was reduced to 10 men six minutes later as Vladimir Bozovic was sent off.

Rubin Kazan has a Europa League quarter-final against Chelsea ahead of it, but a goalless draw away to Terek Grozny was a result unlikely to worry the English club owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. Terek had Rizvan Yutsiev sent off late on.