Doumbia double inspires CSKA to victory

18 October 2011 20:05

A double from prolific Ivory Coast international striker Seidou Doumbia inspired CSKA Moscow to their first win of this season's Champions League campaign easing to a 3-0 win over Turkish outfit Trabzonspor here on Tuesday.

Doumbia's double - taking him to 24 goals in 37 appearances for CSKA - and a goal from Latvian midfielder Aleksandrs Cauna saw the hosts move provisionally top of Group B equal with Trabzonspor on four points but ahead on their head to head record.

2010 Champions League winners Inter Milan - surprisingly beaten by Trabzonspor in their opening match - can go top if they beat French side Lille in France later on Tuesday.

"It was much tougher to win today than it may appear looking at the scoreline," CSKA manager Leonid Slutsky said.

"But we played confidently keeping everything under control and didn't allow Trabzonspor to create serious threats except one occasion at the start.

"Taking into consideration our personnel problems we played very well.

"And I'm very glad that we managed to keep a clean sheet."

CSKA started nervously producing a catalogue of unforced errors and failed to create any serious threat in the opening minutes.

Trabzonspor were also playing cautiously but should have gone 1-0 up in the 19th minute when midfielder Alanzinho was in on a one on one with CSKA 'keeper Vladimir Gabulov but the Russian proved equal to the task.

CSKA replied with a dangerous 20-metre freekick by Russian international Alan Dzagoev in the 23rd minute, which went just inches wide of the left post.

However, Doumbia proved more deadly as he rounded off a move which saw his Brazilian strike partner Vagner Love set him up with a delightful backheel.

Trabzonspor made a concerted effort to come up with an equaliser but failed toi put away their chances, defender Arkadiusz Glowacki missing the best of them with a close-range header.

CSKA, though, weren't holding back either and after the break posed several problems for the Turkish side, Serbian midfielder Zoran Tosic missing a belter of a chance to double their lead as he sent the ball wide from seven metres in the 47th minute.

A minute later and Trabzonspor goalkeeper Tolga Zengin saved his side as he rushed from his box to perform a desperate tackle to stop Doumbia.

CSKA finally got the second goal they deserved as second-half substitute Cauna slotted home in the 76th minute, the Latvian formerly of modest English side Watford putting away Love's splendid cross from the right.

Cauna missed a chance for a double with six minutes to go as his shot from just outside the box hit the woodwork, while Yevgeny Aldonin's rebound attempt went just wide.

Doumbia rounded off the scoring in the 86th minute with a wonderful second goal, turning defender Giray Kacar inside out before clipping the ball past Zengin with the outside of his boot.

Source: AFP