Rostov registered their first points of the Match Premier Cup with a comfortable 3-1 win over Partizan belgrade on Tuesday. Pavel Mamaev, Aleksandr Dolgov and Eldor Shomurodov put them in firm control before a penalty consolation with three minutes left reduced the deficit.

An unmarked Pavel Mamaev opened the scoring after half an hour by finishing tidily after Eldor Shomurodov’s aerial challenge. The latter sealed the win with a typically thumping header 17 minutes from time after Aleksandr Dolgov’s finish from close range.

Against Spartak Moscow in their opening game of the tournament, Rostov struggled to cope with the intensity of Domenico Tedesco’s side. Partizan began brightly with former CSKA Moscow midfielder Bibras Natkho shooting wide after five minute, but soon faded.

Matthias Normann left the pitch after 15 minutes after taking a knock to his ankle, but Valery Karpin - who signed a five-year contract extension earlier this week - played down the severity of his midfielder’s injury.

Normann is one of four key players to have signed contract extensions this winter break. Another is top goalscorer Shomurodov, who was a handful for Partizan throughout. Neither goalkeeper nor defender could clear his challenge, leaving Mamaev to volley the opener neatly.

Barely a minute after the restart Mamaev threaded a low ball across the face of goal, but the onrushing Dolgov somehow contrived to nudge his soft touch wide. The pair combined 10 minutes later more successfully as Dolgov squeezed a shot in off the post.

Karpin began sending on his younger player after an hour. Shomurodov sent a powerful header beyond Aleksandar Popovic on 73 minutes from Arseny Logashov’s cross to put the result beyond doubt.

Umar Sadiq’s penalty at the end didn’t affect Rostov leapfrogging Partizan in the table. They play their final match of the tournament on Sunday 9 February against Lokomotiv Moscow.

Latest standings:
1 Spartak        3pts
2 Rostov         3pts
3 Partizan       2pts
4 Lokomotiv    1pt

Rostov 3-1 Partizan
4 February, Aspire Academy, Qatar
Goals: Mamaev 32’, Dolgov 57’, Shomurodov 73’; Sadiq 87’ (p)

Rostov: Pesyakov, Kozlov (logashov 61’), Hadzikadunic (Chistyakov 46’), Osipenko (Kozhemyakin 60’), Chernov (Vedernikov 73’), Eremenko (Livadnov 82’), Normann (Shomurodov 19’), Popov (Bezrukov 73’), Mamaev (Saplinov 61’), Zaynutdinov (Osinov 68’), Bayramyan (Dolgov 46’)