MOSCOW, July 28 (R-Sport) - Footballer Ahmed Musa scored a late winner as CSKA Moscow edged past its capital city rival, Lokomotiv, 2-1 in the Russian Premier League on Sunday.
Musa prodded the ball in from close range on 82 minutes after Seydou Doumbia's header ricocheted off the post at a corner.
The other goals also came from set pieces - Japanese midfielder Keisuke Honda fired CSKA in front on 18 minutes with a curling 20-yard free-kick into the top-right corner of Dario Kresic's goal.
Lokomotiv looked on track for a point when Dmitry Tarasov headed in Alexander Samedov's corner on 75 minutes, right after Samedov had seen his penalty saved by CSKA keeper Igor Akinfeev.
CSKA's second win in a row took the reigning champions to third place in the table, level with second-placed FC Rostov on seven points and two behind leaders Spartak Moscow.
"I'm very grateful to the guys," CSKA coach Leonid Slutsky said in televised comments, adding that his team's task was made harder by injuries and other absences. "In tough conditions, they displayed character and skill. They just did great."
Lokomotiv suffered its first defeat this season and share eighth place with Zenit St. Petersburg.
"We conceded two goals from set pieces. I don't think we deserved this defeat," Tarasov said in televised comments. "The game was drawn."
Slutsky was forced to make two changes in the starting 11, comparing with last weekend's 2-1 win over FC Volga, deploying Mark Gonzalez instead of suspended left-back Georgy Shchennikov and Rasmus Elm to replace Brazilian striker Vagner Love, who departed for China. Defender Kirill Nababkin came back from injury as a 38th-minute sub for Alexei Berezutsky, who Slutsky later said had a potentially "serious" shoulder problem.
CSKA created the first real opportunity on seven minutes, when Musa found Alan Dzagoev in the center of the box, but his strike was saved by Lokomotiv No. 1 Guilherme, who was welcomed with a banner from the fans pleading Brazil coach Luis Felipe Scolari call him up to the national team.
Honda came close to a spectacular goal, charging through the center of the Lokomotiv half before unleashing a shot that missed the target. Just before the break, Rasmus Elm tried an audacious 50-yard effort from the center circle, but Guilherme was alert to keep it out.
Lokomotiv's problems agravated on 52 minutes, when Guilherme had to leave the pitch with what appeared to be a knee injury and Kresic came off the bench. After the match, Tarasov said Guilherme had injured his knee, but added that it didn't look like a ligament tear, an injury the 27-year-old keeper had suffered twice in his career.
The Railwaymen's missed penalty came when Gonzalez brought down Taras Mikhalik on the right of the box.
Later in the day, Anzhi Makhachkala’s new era post-Guus Hiddink starts with a trip to Samara to play Krylya Sovetov. Then, Terek Grozny host Rubin Kazan.
Spartak kept up its perfect start Saturday with a third-straight win in a 4-1 thumping of Dynamo in the Moscow derby; and FC Volga grabbed its first victory with a 2-1 comeback win at Ural Yekaterinburg. Spartak striker Artem Dzyuba continued his scintillating form on loan at FC Rostov, scoring a hat trick in a 3-0 defeat of newly promoted FC Tomsk.
On Friday, Andrei Arshavin got his first goal since his return to Zenit St. Petersburg in Friday's 1-1 draw at home to FC Kuban.
On Monday, FC Krasnodar plays Amkar Perm.
