Zenit's Shirokov Rescues 2-2 Draw at Kuban

© RIA Novosti . Mikhail Mokrushin / Go to the mediabankZenit's Shirokov Rescues 2-2 Draw at Kuban
Zenit's Shirokov Rescues 2-2 Draw at Kuban  - Sputnik International
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Zenit St. Petersburg scored twice in two minutes to rescue a 2-2 draw at FC Kuban in the Russian Premier League on Saturday.

Zenit St. Petersburg scored twice in two minutes to rescue a 2-2 draw at FC Kuban in the Russian Premier League on Saturday.

Roman Shirokov rifled into the roof of the net from close range to steal a point for the visitors on 80 minutes.

Just beforehand, Andrei Arshavin had pulled Zenit back into the game with a neat finish into the corner of Alexander Belenov's goal.

It was an unlikely comeback from a double strike by Kuban's striker Lacina Traore.

Traore steamed through the Zenit defense without a tackle from marking players Bruno Alves and Domenico Criscito, chipping coolly over Vyacheslav Malafeev for his first.

The second came on 76 minutes, when Traore put a bullet header past Malafeev off a Marcos Pizzelli free kick.

It was Traore's 16th and 17th goals of the season, but his first since November.

The result means Zenit leave the title champagne on ice, 12 points ahead of Dynamo Moscow with 12 points to play for in four remaining games.

"It was a decent match, it's always hard to get anything out of Kuban," Zenit coach Luciano Spalletti said. "They are such a physical team, they have great strikers who can hold up the ball and make things difficult for us."

Kuban, all but out of the running for European football, stay eighth on 57 points, three behind Anzhi, who play Spartak Moscow on Sunday.

Dan Petrescu's side dominated for long periods of Saturday's game.

David Tsoraev sent a fizzing shot just wide early on.

Vladimir Bystrov burst through the inside right on 13 minutes to strike straight at Alexander Belenov.

Then, Lacina Traore directed a header onto the post with Vyacheslav Malafeev stranded.

Zenit defender Alexander Anyukov broke into the Kuban box and hit low to force Belenov into a full-stretch save before half time.

In the second half, Kuban forward Georgi Bucur lashed just wide from distance before looping a header over.

Then came four goals in 20 minutes that neither team added to despite pressure from both.

Kuban's Marcos Pizzellli rattled the Zenit crossbar from range late on.

Earlier Saturday, Dynamo Moscow stunned city rivals CSKA 1-0 in the Russian Premier League on Saturday, with Zvjezdan Misimovic's strike lifting the club to second in the table.

Goals from penalties gave FC Volga a 2-0 win over nine-man FC Tom Tomsk, severely denting the Siberians' survival hopes.

And Vitaly Grishin's first-half strike gave Amkar Perm a 1-0 win over bottom club Spartak Nalchik

 

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