Champions Zenit held in opener

FC Spartak Moskva held defending champions FC Zenit St. Petersburg to a 0-0 draw at the Petrovsky stadium in the biggest match of the first round of the new Russian Premier-Liga season.

Kováč blow
Spartak, who lost Radoslav Kováč in the first minute due to shoulder injury, almost fell behind when Ivica Križanac shot from close range but Mozart was on hand to make the block. Midway through the first half Andrei Arshavin rattled the crossbar before spurning one more chance when trying to capitalise on goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa's poor clearance on 41 minutes. Arshavin and Konstantin Zyrianov had further chances to forge a breakthrough for the UEFA Cup quarter-finalists early in the second half, but the Croatian international stood firm.

Favourites falter
His counterpart Vyacheslav Malafeev denied Roman Pavlyuchenko at the other end on 53 minutes, but in the remainder of the second half defences prevailed as Spartak held on for a point. Meanwhile, another title contender, FC Lokomotiv Moskva, fell at home to FC Rubin Kazan with Roman Sharonov heading in the only goal from a corner on 45 minutes. FC Dinamo Moskva had a slow start as they could only manage a 0-0 draw in sub-zero temperatures at FC Tom Tomsk while FC Moskva, under new coach Oleh Blokhin, were held 1-1 at FC Luch-Energia Vladivostok.

CSKA held
Yesterday, PFC CSKA Moskva were denied three points when Jurijs Laizans (67) cancelled out Jô's earlier effort to earn a 1-1 draw, while FC Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast succumbed to a 2-1 defeat by FC Spartak Nalchik. FC Amkar Perm overcame FC Khimki 3-0 to join FC Krylya Sovetov Samara, 3-0 winners against FC Terek Grozny on Friday, on top of the table.