Chelsea's Zhirkov eager to punish Spartak for goal dig

MOSCOW (Reuters) -- Chelsea's Yuri Zhirkov will have an added incentive to beat Spartak Moscow in Wednesday's Champions League match after the Russian club's owner made a dig at him in local media.

Russian Zhirkov scored a spectacular volley into the top corner to set the English champions on their way to a 2-0 win over Spartak at Moscow's Luzhniki stadium in the first encounter two weeks ago.

It was his first goal for Chelsea since moving to Stamford Bridge in July 2009, prompting Spartak's billionaire owner Leonid Fedun to quip: "Zhirkov shoots like this once every five years. Unfortunately, it happened in our match."

Zhirkov, who played for Spartak's bitter Moscow rivals CSKA for five years before joining Chelsea, said he wanted to prove Fedun wrong.

"I've read these comments by Mr Fedun and want to prove him that he really underestimates me," the Russian international was quoted as saying by the Sport-Express newspaper on Monday.

Chelsea top Group F with a maximum nine points from three games. Spartak are second on six points.