Three goals in the final 18 minutes saw CSKA Moscow maintain their 100 per cent start to their UEFA Europa League Group F campaign at Arena Khimki.

Sparta Prague battled manfully throughout as their hosts dominated possession but were finally undone when Seydou Doumbia fired the Russians ahead. Mark Gonzalez doubled the lead from the spot 12 minutes later before Ivorian striker Doumbia grabbed his second with four minutes remaining to seal an ultimately comfortable win.

Sparta were under pressure right from the off with Keisuke Honda's long-range effort forcing keeper Jaromir Blazek into an early save. Doumbia was then off target before Gonzalez's powerful low strike was parried to safety by Blazek, although there was some brief respite for the Czechs when Juraj Kucka had their first meaningful shot on goal, easily saved by Igor Akinfeev.

Blazek still had plenty to do, though, with Alexei Berezutsky and Pavel Mamaev being the latest players to force him into action as the half drew to a close.

Vagner Love, who had scored twice in CSKA's 3-0 win over Lausanne in their group opener, fired weakly at the keeper not long after the resumption but Sparta looked set to hang on for a draw as the game entered the final 20 minutes.

But they failed to keep track of Doumbia as he stole in to meet Gonzalez's corner to score from close range and break the deadlock. Things soon got worse for the visitors when defender Erich Brabec, who had previously played for CSKA's cross-city rivals Dynamo, handled in the area.

And Gonzalez made no mistake as he calmly stroked the resulting spot-kick into the left-hand corner of the net. Sparta's misery was soon complete, Doumbia completing his brace as he tapped home after Alan Dzagoev had got clear down the right and played the ball across the box.