Zenit beat Arsenal Tula, Spartak sink Rubin Kazan
Zenit St. Petersburg shrugged off the disappointment of their UEFA Europa League exit to restore their eight-point lead at the top of the Russian Premier League with victory over Arsenal Tula on Sunday.
Needing to respond after Krasnodar beat Lokomotiv Moscow on Saturday, Zenit took the win courtesy of an 18th-minute goal from Alex Witsel, a positive end to a week which also saw them dumped out of Europe by Sevilla on Thursday.
In the battle for European places, Spartak Moscow claimed a potentially vital 1-0 win over Rubin Kazan thanks to a 90th-minute goal from Quincy Promes. The win sees Spartak, sixth, move within one point of Rubin Kazan, who hold the last of the Europa League places.
Rostov twice came from behind to claim a 2-2 draw against fourth-placed Dinamo Moscow. Sardar Azmoun struck seven minutes into the second half to cancel out Aleksandr Kokorin's 22nd minute opener, and three minutes after Christopher Samba thought he had a late winner for Dinamo, Bartolomeu Bastos bagged an equaliser for the hosts.