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Due to the UEFA Cup tournament, one match of the 18th round of the Russian "Premier" League was played on Sunday instead of August. In Vladivostok, "Luch-Energia" faced Kazan's "Rubin" - the hosts celebrated a victory and moved up in the tournament table.
2 - 1
7' [1 - 0] Dmitriy Smirnov
37' [2 - 0] Dmitriy Smirnov
80' [2 - 1] Lenar Gilmullin
Before the match, the "Luch-Energia" team, which had only lost once at home this season so far and won 10 out of 13 possible victories, was three points behind the 4-5th placed "Moscow" and "Rubin" clubs and had the opportunity to climb higher in the tournament table from the middle.
This is what the Vladivostok team's footballers did, and the victory was determined by two goals from Dmitriy Smirnov in the 7th and 37th minutes. The visitors scored a consolation goal through Lenar Gilmullin. After this victory, the "Luch-Energia" club gathered 40 points, surpassing four teams and approaching "Rubin" and "Moscow".
With two rounds left until the end of the championship, there are quite realistic chances for up to seven teams to fight for the fifth place, which gives the opportunity to participate in the Intertoto Cup tournament, as only three points separate them from the 11th position. The defending champion Moscow "CSKA" is leading the championship, followed by city neighbor "Spartak" in second place, while Moscow "Lokomotiv" and St. Petersburg "Zenit" are battling for the third position.
Tournament table[table=8][/table]
