Published: 30 August, 2009, 19:51
Edited: 30 August, 2009, 19:51
Russian Premier League table toppers and reigning champions Rubin have clinically dismantled the pretenders to the throne, Spartak Moscow, 3-0 away from home to move four points clear at the summit.
The most widely-anticipated clash in months turned into a men-against-boys affair.
Russian international Sergey Semak's thunderous drive after the half hour mark got the ball rolling.
That was soon followed up by Alejandro Dominguez, who converted a penalty, though questionable, into the second goal.
Spartak then made a double substitution and changed things on the pitch for some time. However the Muscovites, diluted by the absence of a number of key players, were too inaccurate in the closing stages of their attacks.
Any hope that some half-time refreshment would reinvigorate the red and whites evaporated at the 58-minute mark. Aleksandr Bukharov headed home in counterattack, and that was enough to knock the fight out of Spartak with Rubin closing out the game in expert fashion.
The victory has vastly increased the odds on Rubin securing their second straight league championship.
Also on Sunday, Zenit thrashed Khimki 4-0 on the road.
Fatih Tekke scored the opener 24 minutes in.
Then, former Spartak man Vladimir Bistrov, whom Zenit had welcomed back a day earlier, repaid his new side's faith in him by finding the net just after half-time.
Bystrov looked dangerous all afternoon long, and in the 58th got in front of Evgeny Gapon, who saw red for the drag back.
Another Zenit rookie, Alessandro Rozina, made it 3-0 some 10 minutes later with his beautiful left footed drive.
And Bystrov played a major part in the fourth and final strike – his cross went in off the unfortunate Maksim Zinovyev.