CSKA Moscow winger Ahmed Musa rescued a 2-2 draw on his league debut against Zenit in the Russian Premier League on Saturday, preventing the St. Petersburg side from extending their six-point lead at the top.
Alexander Kerzhakov struck twice for Zenit, putting the visitors ahead after just 18 seconds and in front into the second half with a spectacular long-range volley. Alan Dzagoev equalized for CSKA from close range before half time.
Andrei Arshavin, making his first appearance since rejoining Zenit from Arsenal last month, had an anonymous afternoon and was substituted on 55 minutes.
The result suits third-placed Dynamo Moscow, who host Guus Hiddink's Anzhi Makhachkala on Monday, and puts Zenit on 66 points, six ahead of CSKA and eight ahead of Dynamo.
Russia international Kerzhakov picked up Alexander Anyukov’s long pass and calmly slotted in past CSKA's 16-year-old goalkeeper Sergei Revyakin to register the second-fastest goal of the 2011-12 season.
Revyakin was making his debut for CSKA, whose two senior goalkeepers were both unavailable, and kept the hosts in the game by saving Roman Shirokov's close range effort after he headed against the post just six minutes in.
CSKA equalized with their first real attack on 17 minutes, when Dzagoev lashed in a rebound from point-blank range after Zenit goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev parried the young midfielder’s header from Keisuke Honda’s cross.
The hosts could have scored a second seven minutes later, but Seydou Doumbia, the league's leading scorer, was unable to connect with Musa’s low cross six yards out.
Doumbia broke free from marker Nicolas Lombaerts on 34 minutes before shooting just wide of the right post.
Revyakin pulled off an acrobatic save to deny Kerzhakov a second goal when he blasted in a free kick from 30 yards five minutes before half time.
CSKA launched an immediate counterattack that ended with Dzagoev firing wide from a tight angle after Doumbia flicked on Sergei Ignashevich’s deep cross.
Dzagoev shot wide again three minutes later under pressure from Anyukov.
Zenit started the second half brightly, Shirokov forcing a save from Revyakin with a long-range effort.
Kerzhakov found space on the edge of the CSKA box just before the hour mark and expertly volleyed Tomas Hubocan’s cross past the helpless Revyakin to put the visitors ahead.
But pacy Nigerian winger Musa, making his debut in the Russian league, had threatened the Zenit flank all game, and got his reward on 68 minutes when he applied a calm first-time finish to Honda’s pass to level the scores at 2-2.
Honda was at the center of most of CSKA’s attacks, and almost grabbed a goal for himself on 80 minutes, smashing a curling shot against Malafeev’s crossbar from 30 yards out.
The Japanese midfielder left the pitch three minutes later with what appeared to be a return of the knee injury that troubled him during the winter break.
With three minutes remaining, Shirokov rounded Revyakin, but first touch was too heavy, forcing him to the byline and allowing Vasily Berezutsky to clear his feeble cross.
Deep into stoppage time, Zenit continued their late charge with a thunderous drive from Denisov, but Revyakin held it to leave the scores even.
Earlier Saturday, bottom club FC Tom Tomsk, who were rescued from the brink of bankruptcy during the winter break, continued to struggle on the pitch in a 1-0 defeat away to Terek Grozny, who are now eight points clear of the relegation places.
Shamil Asildarov lashed the ball in from a tight angle for the only goal of the game on 61 minutes after picking up long pass from Igor Lebedenko.
In Nizhny Nogorod, FC Volga climbed to 13th with a 1-0 home win against 15th-placed Spartak Nalchik.
Volga defender Sergey Bendz headed in on 58 minutes from Alexander Kharitonov’s corner to give the hosts the points..
Lokomotiv Moscow face FC Kuban later Saturday, the last game before a second round of matches Monday.
