Zenit 2-2 Rostov: Komarov's 83rd-minute goal denies the leaders a win

RPL, matchday 14, and the most curious thing happened in St. Petersburg. On November 8 at Gazprom Arena, Zenit led Rostov twice and twice failed to hold the advantage: 2-2. Ivan Komarov saved the point for the visitors in the 83rd minute.

How it went. Douglas Santos opened the scoring as early as the 15th minute. After the break Rostov equalized not entirely by their own efforts: in the 53rd, home defender Kevin Andrade sliced the ball into his own net. Five minutes later Luiz Henrique put Zenit ahead again, and the script looked familiar: the leader finishes the job. Not this time. Komarov converted a cross from Andrei Langovich, and St. Petersburg were left with one point instead of three.

In the standings, Zenit have 31 points and are first, but Dinamo Moscow have exactly as many, after beating Fakel 2-1 on Saturday. The St. Petersburg side are ahead on additional criteria. Third is Spartak with 29 points after a 2-1 win over Akron. The number of the round is zero: that is the leader's gap over second place.

Next comes a break for national-team games. The league resumes on November 20, and on the 21st Zenit travel to Kazan to face Rubin, who before the break won 1-0 in Moscow against Lokomotiv. It won't be a quiet away trip.