Zenit St. Petersburg completed a successful double-header on Monday as they beat 1995 Russian League champion Alania Vladikavkaz 4-2, before winning 3-1 against Kairat Almaty. Aleksandr Erokhin and Emiliano Rigoni both scored twice against Alania, while goals from Malcom, Douglas Santos and Sardar Azmoun accounted for Kairat.

It was actually Alania who took the lead in the first fixture after just five minutes when Islam Mashukov powered a low shot into the bottom corner. Even then, Rigoni had already seen a shot dribble wide.

Alania were in the ascendancy for the opening half an hour until an Ilya Vorobyov and Danil Shamkin one-two set Erokhin through. He finished the one-on-one opportunity comfortably.

A minute before the break Shamkin’s long ball found Rigoni who handed Zenit the lead. After the break the Argentine caught the Alania defence napping to gratefully receive Erokhin’s pass and hook the ball over the keeper to make it 3-1.

Rigoni returned the favour by planting a cross on Erokhin’s head, from where the ball found the bottom corner. The result may have been confirmed by Zenit’s fourth goal, but Alania didn’t roll over.

Shamkin was penalised for tussling with an Alania forward in the box, leaving David Kobesov to convert the subsequent penalty. A renewed sense of urgency wasn’t able to yield any tangible returns however.

Zenit St. Petersburg 4-2 Alania Vladikavkaz
17 February, Belek, Turkey
Goals: Erokhin (29’, 64’), Rigoni (45’, 54’); Mashukov (5’), Kobetov (67’ pen)

Zenit: Vasyutin, Smolnikov, Osorio, Prokhin, Zhirkov (Kravtsov 88’), Erokhin, Musaev, Shamkin, Rigoni, Driussi, Vorobyov (Sergeev 80’)

A much stronger lineup that included club-record signing Malcom took on Kazakh powerhouses Kairat in the afternoon. It was Kairat who threatened first though through Nebojsa Kosovic after just six minutes. He shrugged off a challenge from Magomed Ozdoev before shooting slightly off balance at Andrey Lunev.

Aybol Abiken’s direct free kick - that had come from a red-card infringement from Ozdoev - had Lunev at full stretch to maintain parity. Less than 10 minutes afterwards, another Kairat attack saw a shot fly wide.

It took until the 25th minute for Zenit to get a foothold in the game. Artem Dzyuba carried the ball through the centre with purpose before releasing Malcom into space on the right to curl a shot into the far corner for his first Zenit goal.

The Brazilian couldn’t quite reach Azmoun’s cross just after the half-hour mark as he slid into the six-yard box. Kairat ignored Zenit’s momentum, however, and equalised through a firm header from Erkebulan Tungyshbaev three minutes later.

After the break Nuraly Alip curled a free kick inches over the bar as Kairat refused to settle for parity. Douglas Santos went one better though at the other end as his set-piece dipped over the wall and into the near corner.

Straight from the kickoff, Zenit won back possession and broke quickly through Dzyuba. He sent his strike partner Sardar Azmoun through one on one with the keeper to finish calmly.

Ozdoev was allowed back on the pitch despite having been sent off earlier, and with two minutes to go he sent a left-footed effort sailing over.

Zenit have a double header on Saturday 22 February up next as they face Belarussian pair FC Isloch, and then Dinamo Minsk, whom they dramatically beat 8-5 on aggregate in the UEFA Europa League 18 months ago.

Zenit 3-1 Kairat
17 February, Belek, Turkey
Goals: Malcom (25’), Douglas Santos (67’), Azmoun (69’); Tungyshbaev (34’)

Zenit: Lunev (Kerzhakov 46’), Karavaev, Rakitskiy, Ivanovic, Douglas Santos, Barrios, Ozdoev (Sergeev 10’ (Ozdoev 46’)), Sutormin, Malcom (Kravtsov 68’), Dzyuba, Azmoun