Leaders Spartak Thrashed At Freezing Samara

MOSCOW, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 02nd Dec, 2016 ) : Russian Premier League table-toppers Spartak Moscow slumped to a shock 4-0 defeat at struggling Samara on Thursday as temperatures plunged to a bone-chilling minus 12 degrees.

A spot-kick by Yohan Mollo along with goals by Sergei Tkachev, Cristian Pasquato and Sergei Kornilenko gave Samara just a third win of the season. Despite the defeat Spartak remain top, three points ahead of Zenit St Petersburg who beat Ufa 2-0 on Wednesday.

Reigning champions CSKA Moscow sit third, five points further back. Samara opened the scoring in the 17th minute when French star Mollo converted a penalty after Spartak defender Ilya Kutepov fouled Pasquato in the area.

Tkachev hammered home the second goal from the edge of the box from a Mollo cross in first-half injury time.

After the break, Pasquato and Kornilenko added one goal apiece to record Samara's first win over Spartak in seven years.

"I have no idea what happened today," Spartak boss Massimo Carrera said. "Samara looked motivated, they've played an excellent match, while we performed really poor. I take the blame for the defeat." Elsewhere, Terek Grozny beat Krasnodar 2-1 to go fourth.

Uruguayan midfielder Facundo Piriz put Terek in front in the 25th minute with Romanian midfielder Gheorghe Grozav adding the second eight minutes later. Terek's Venezuelan defender Wilker Angel put through his own goal in the 72nd minute but the visitors were unable to build on their lifeline.