CSKA down 10-man PSV to get back on track

A strike from Nigerian forward Ahmed Musa and a brace by Ivory Coast sharp-shooter Seydou Doumbia set CSKA on their way to a narrow victory that put them equal on three points with the other three teams in their group.

Manchester United came back to defeat Wolfsburg 2-1 at Old Trafford as home sides have now won the first four pool matches.

Belgian Maxime Lestienne was twice on target for PSV but it wasn't enough for the visitors.

"We played well in the first half. Maybe we earned the lead a little too easy," said CSKA coach Leonid Slutsky.

"But in the second half everything went a bit astray and we had a nervous ending due to our own slackness.

"Of course I'm happy with the result but there's also a certain displeasure because of our poor performance in the second period."

CSKA, who needed to win to keep alive their chances of qualifying for the knockout phase, a feat they haven't achieved since 2011-12, got off to a lively start as Musa put them 1-0 up after seven minutes, firing the ball home off a well-served corner from former Manchester United midfielder Zoran Tosic.

In the 21st minute Doumbia made it 2-0 for the Red Army side when he met a pinpoint cross by Mario Fernandes from the right and his 10-metre header went under the crossbar past the outstretched hands of PSV 'keeper Jeroen Zoet.

Fifteen minutes later CSKA were awarded a penalty after Zoet brought down Tosic in the area and Doumbia netted his second of the match sending the visiting 'keeper the wrong way from the spot.

Doumbia missed a chance to score his third a minute before the break, when Santiago Arias fouled Musa in the box, but his second spot-kick went inches over the crossbar.

After the interval the 1988 European champions picked up steam and in the 53rd minute Luciano Narsingh forced CSKA 'keeper Igor Akinfeyev into a diving save with a shot from 12 metres.

Seven minutes later Adam Maher, who narrowly avoided straying offside, sent the ball across the goalmouth for Lestienne and he reduced the arrears tapping it into the unguarded corner.

In the 68th minute Narsingh found the unmarked Lestienne at the edge of the area and the Belgian midfielder hammered the ball into the top right-hand corner.

PSV poured forward in attack seeking the equaliser, but their hopes went up in smoke with 10 minutes to go, when Arias was sent off for a second bookable offence.

CSKA who have suffered 1-0 defeats in both their previous home meetings with Dutch sides in the European Cups, were able to protect their advantage and chalked up their first points of the group phase.

"We failed to show our normal football before the break as we missed some of our first-line players through injuries," PSV manager Phillip Cocu said.

"But in the second half we managed to completely turn things around. We had many chances to level but missed too many of them.

"But I thanked my players for their play and the performance after the break."