Zenit St Petersburg strengthened their grip at the top of the Russian Premier League with a 3-0 victory over Volga Nizhny Novgorod. Viktor Faitzulin opened the scoring after just two minutes, while Alexander Bukharov added another eight minutes before the interval. A 70th-minute penalty from Danko Lazovic put the result beyond doubt, moving Zenit five points clear at the top of the standings with one match of the regular season remaining. After 30 rounds the league will split into two groups, with the top eight fighting it out for the title and European places. The bottom eight, which includes Volga, will battle to avoid relegation.