Love hat-trick breaks Spartak hearts

Brazilian striker Vagner Love scored a first-half hat-trick to lead CSKA Moscow to a 5-1 win over city rivals, and nine-time champions, Spartak in the Russian Premier league on Saturday.

The Red Army side were 3-0 ahead before the interval thanks to Love's treble.

Serbian midfielder Milos Krasic made it 4-0 for CSKA in the 53rd minute before Spartak substitute striker Nikita Bazhenov reduced the arrears in the 61st minute firing in from just outside the box.

But CSKA's Turkish import Erkin Caner restored his side's four-goal advantage when he scored with a well-struck free-kick with 12 minutes remaining.

The win lifted CSKA into seventh place in the table, eight points behind leaders Kazan whose lead was cut to a point when Perm beat struggling Vladivostok 2-0.

Perm's Bulgarian striker Martin Kushev put his side ahead in the 25th minute with a close-range header from Nikola Drincic's corner.

Two minutes after the interval Croatian midfielder Tomislav Duimovic added the second with a header from Drincic's free-kick.

Perm now have 25 points from 12 matches, one behind Kazan who face Ramenskoye at home on Wednesday.