FC Krasnodar boosted their chances of making the Champions League qualifiers with a hard-fought 2-1 win over visitors Rostov on Sunday.

The result left Krasnodar five points behind newly-crowned Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg with only one game left and three ahead of third-placed CSKA Moscow, who take on Rubin Kazan on Monday.

Krasnodar got off to a lively start as they scored the opening goal in the 10th minute when their right back Vitali Kaleshin found the unmarked Roman Shirokov in the area and he volleyed the ball in past helpless ‘keeper Stipe Pletikosa.

Brazilian Wanderson added a goal in the 33rd minute lobbing the ball into the net over Pletikosa from close range.

Rostov back Vitaly Diakov pulled one back in the 75th minute when he headed the ball home from 12 metres.

In the 81st minute Rostov Iranian forward Sardar Azmoun also scored from close range but his goal was ruled out for offside.

“It was a very hard game,” Krasnodar head coach Oleg Kononov said.

“Luckily, we managed to score twice in the first half. After the break we were under pressure and the players had to put up with the heat.

“After two home draws we really wanted to win the season’s last match in front of our own supporters. We’re happy to have managed that.”

In Sunday’s late encounter, 10-man Dynamo Moscow recorded a 2-2 draw against bottom-placed Arsenal Tula leaving the visitors with just a slight matchematical chances to avoid direct relegation.

Dynamo, who squandered a handful of chances early in the first half, were trailing 1-0 after Arsenal skipper Evgeny Osipov hammered the ball into the back of the net with a 30-metre freekick in the 34th minute.

Eight minutes later Mathieu Valbuena helped the ball on to Alexei Ionov in the area and the Russian international calmly sent the ball home from the edge of the six-yard box to level at 1-1.

Dutch back Alexander Buttner weakened Dynamo in the 58th minute as he was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Arsenal soon made Dynamo pay as defender Anri Khagush swept the ball into the unguarded net off Vladislav Ryzhkov’s feeding pass after the visitors beat Dynamo defence on a breakaway just after the hour mark.

But the French midfielder William Vainqueur saved the day for Dynamo as he smashed home from 12 metres off Anatoly Katrich’s right-handed cross in the 76th minute.

“We missed the win today wasting too many scoring opportunities,” Dynamo head coach Stanislav Cherchesov said.

“But my men showed strong will and team spirit as they saved the match against Arsenal who desperately needed to win today.”