Amkar upset champions Zenit to avoid relegation

Newly-crowned champions Zenit St Petersburg;s six-match unbeaten series ended with a 1-0 defeat at the hands of strugglers Amkar Perm on Saturday.

After their third defeat of the season, and with one game left, Zenit are still eight points ahead of CSKA Moscow and FC Krasnodar, who take on Rubin Kazan on Monday and Rostov on Sunday respectively. 

"It was one of the most important matches for us this season," Amkar head coach Gadzhi Gadzhiev said.

"And today`s win allows us to avoid direct relegation. 

"But we still have to earn points in the season-ending match with Spartak to keep out of the relegation play-offs."

Zenit dominated from kick-off but failed to find the net while midfielder Alexander Kolomeitsev put Amkar into the lead in the 38th minute when he hammered the ball into the top right-handed corner with a 22-metre screamer.

After the interval Zenit pinned Amkar back but their only meaningful chance came in the 52nd minute when winger Oleg Shatov hit the woodwork from close range.

"We played well in the first half and created three chances to score but low efficiency was our biggest problem today," Zenit manager Andre Villas-Boas said.

"Amkar played well. They played for survival, to stay in the league and they`ve achieved it."

Elsewhere, Russia`s most successful club Spartak Moscow suffered their third consecutive league defeat with a 2-1 defeat to promoted Ufa.

Croatian midfielder Ivan Paurevic put Ufa 1-0 up in the 21st minute sending home a rebound after a free kick through the traffic after Spartak`s mix-up in defence.

The Muscovites levelled six minutes later through forward Vyacheslav Krotov, who swept the ball into unguarded post off a short left-handed cross by Dmitri Kombarov.

But in the 40th minute Ufa`s Bosnian substitute Haris Handzic beat Spartak defence on a breakaway to find the unmarked back Dmitry Stotsky in the area, who kept his cool to volley the ball in past `keeper Anton Mitryushkin and two defenders.

After the break Spartak poured in attack seeking for an equaliser but their hopes went up in smoke as Brazilian midfielder Romulo was sent off for the second bookable offence in the 68th minute.

"It was a very difficult match because at the season`s end every point is precious," Ufa coach Igor Kolyvanov said.

"Today we showed our best football and won deservedly."