MOSCOW, March 11 (RIA Novosti) - Goalkeeper Guilherme saved a point for Lokomotiv Moscow with a spectacular save in their 0-0 draw with Rubin Kazan on Saturday.
The result leaves Lokomotiv in fifth place in the Russian Premier League, with Rubin in sixth, whereas a win for either team would have allowed them to close in on the Champions League places.
The decisive moment came on 40 minutes, when Guilherme turned Bibris Natkho’s powerful free kick around the post with a diving save.
Rubin had the better of a cagey first half, but proved unable to convert their chances, as both teams struggled with a worn pitch at Rubin’s reserve ground, hosting its first senior game in ten years because of a festival at the Central Stadium.
On 25 minutes, Lokomotiv’s Denis Glushakov signaled the visitors’ intent with a surging run, but placed a weak shot wide of Sergei Ryzhikov’s post.
Two minutes later, a dangerous Rubin move ended when Alexander Ryazantsev’s shot from a narrow angle was parried by Lokomotiv goalkeeper Guilherme, before defender Roman Shishkin cleared the ball off the goalline.
Rubin winger Gokdeniz Karadeniz played in a cross on 35 minutes, but Ryazantsev sent his close-range volley over the bar.
Maxim Belyaev brought down Karadeniz on the edge of the Lokomotiv box five minutes before half-time, earning himself a yellow card and a free-kick for Rubin in a dangerous position.
The free-kick was taken by Bibras Natkho, whose fierce effort forced Guilherme to save at full stretch.
Lokomotiv started the second half brightly, with Felipe Caicedo firing a powerful volley on 52 minutes that was blocked by Sergey Kislyak.
Glushakov launched a powerful long-range effort on 58 minutes that deflected off a Rubin defender and onto Ryzhikov’s post.
Roman Pavlyuchenko, who joined Lokomotiv last month from English side Tottenham Hotspur, replaced Maicon on 65 minutes, but had little impact on the match.
The match petered out until Rubin substitute Alan Kasaev played in a dangerous low ball across the face of goal on 89 minutes, but no Rubin player was able to apply the finish.
Sunday’s other games pit 11th-placed FC Rostov against 14th-placed Krylya Sovetov Samara, before leaders Zenit St. Petersburg host Dan Petrescu’s FC Kuban.
Monday’s main game is a match between third-placed Spartak Moscow and Anzhi Makhachkala, as new Anzhi coach Guus Hiddink experiences his first home game.
Monday also sees bottom club FC Tom Tomsk host 13th-placed FC Volga Nizhny Novgorod at home in Siberia, before 12th-placed Amkar Perm travel to Spartak Nalchik, in the relegation zone in 15th.
In Saturday’s game, Shamil Asildarov scored one goal and set up a second as Terek Grozny recorded a 3-1 win over ninth-placed FC Krasnodar to move up to tenth, giving the Chechen side an11-point cushion above the relegation zone.
