The Russian Premier League starts again next week after the winter break, and while the likes of Rubin, Lokomotiv, Zenit and CSKA have had European competition to help them prepare others have made do with friendlies.

With Moscow under a blanket of snow and temperatures well below freezing, Dynamo Moscow have been preparing for the Russian Premier League season in warmer climes. However, despite being on the southern Turkish coast, the weather had a distinctly chilly feel to it.

The Blue-and-Whites have assembled a very strong squad and made a key addition during the winter break, bringing in Christian Noboa from Rubin Kazan.

“Yeah, its difficult because I have five years there, was captain, two-time champion, but the time is too much I need to change and come here to Dynamo and I'm very happy to,” the Ecuadorian says.

As part of their preparation the Muscovites got a 2-2 draw with Partizan Belgrade last night.

Both sides took time to get into the game, with Dynamo putting some passing moves together, but were not really able to test the Partizan goalkeeper.

The side from the Serbian capital are also in the middle of their winter break, but they would take the lead 10 minutes before half time. The impressive Lazar Markovic had too much pace for Aleksandr Epuryanu, and the 17-year-old showed a remarkably cool head, before slotting the ball past the onrushing Roman Berezovsky.

Dynamo would pull level nine minutes after the half-time break, from an indirect free kick inside the penalty area. The ball was tapped to Marco Lomic, and the former Partizan Belgrade defender unleashed an unstoppable shot, to restore parity.

The Serbian league leaders were looking very comfortable in possession and were causing the Russian outfit’s defense a number of problems, and they would restore their lead just after the hour mark, with the Dynamo defense guilty of some slack marking.

But the Blue-and-Whites were not to be denied and equalized for a second time, this time from the penalty spot. Andrey Voronin took the responsibility upon himself. The keeper guessed right, but the Ukrainian international’s right-footed shot nestled in the bottom right hand corner to equalize.

“We had a good game, a difficult game, but we know every game we need to be prepared because the championship is in ten days,” said Noboa.

Meanwhile, Paritzan head coach Avram Grant was very complimentary about their Russian opponents.

“I saw them in the league against Anzhi a few months ago and they are a very good team, I like this team, moving the ball good, very good players and for me they are a very good team,” he said.

This may have only been a friendly, but the teams certainly gave 100 per cent, and for good reason, as their respective domestic seasons get underway again in less than two weeks’ time.