Rubin seal Russian Super Cup success

Salvatore Bocchetti and Vladimir Dyadyun scored before the break in Samara to give FC Rubin Kazan a 2-0 victory against FC Zenit St Petersburg and their second Russian Super Cup win.

Rubin coach Kurban Berdyev acknowledged league champions Zenit as favourites by fielding five defenders in his starting lineup, but it was the Russian Cup holders who created the first opening of the match, Roman Eremenko failing to hit the target from a promising position after eight minutes.

With goalkeeper Sergei Ryzhikov saving from Zenit striker Aleksandr Kerzhakov, Rubin took the lead on 28 minutes when defender Bocchetti headed excellently inside the far post after Eremenko had crossed from the right. Ten minutes later it was 2-0 thanks to Dyadyun, who beat Nicolas Lombaerts to the ball following Aleksandr Ryazantsev's low centre and buried his shot.

Former Rubin striker Aleksandr Bukharov started the second half for Zenit and helped them to take the upper hand, only for Roman Shirokov to squander two good chances. With Rubin starting to sit back deeper, Bukharov and Shirokov missed more opportunities late on and Rubin claimed their second Russian Super Cup having previously defeated PFC CSKA Moskva 1-0 in 2010.