Spartak Moscow began the defence of their Russian league title with an underwhelming 2-2 draw against promoted city rivals Dynamo on Tuesday.

Ten-time champions Spartak were firmly in control at the break after goals from Dutch midfielder Quincy Promes and Brazilian striker Luiz Adriano.

But midfielders Kirill Panchenko and Alexander Tashayev in stoppage time scored for Dynamo in the second half to grab a share of the points.

“We’ve played in the Russian Supercup final with Lokomotiv on Friday and probably failed to recover completely from that match,” Spartak manager Massimo Carrera said.

“After the break we showed some symptoms of tiredness and it cost us a win. My men also showed a certain lack of understanding of what kind of football we should perform this season.”

Dynamo, who returned to the top flight after just one season in the lower division, started brightly.

Midfielder Alexei Ionov missed a chance in the third minute, when he sent the ball just inches off the right post from close range.

Two minutes later Dynamo’s Montenegrin forward Fatos Beqiraj scored but his goal was ruled out for offside.

In the 29th minute Promes put Spartak ahead, sending the ball into the net with a six-yard header off a left-wing cross by Lorenzo Melgarejo.

Three minutes later Adriano narrowly escaped the offside trap to receive a razor-sharp pass by Promes at the edge of the area and hammered it in past helpless Dynamo ‘keeper Anton Shunin.

But Dynamo refused to surrender and nine minutes after the interval Panchenko pulled one back with a low shot from 22 yards out.

Second-half substitute Tashayev equalized in the second minute of injury time sweeping the ball home off a right-handed cross by Brazilian Francisco Wanderson.

“It was a very difficult game,” Panchenko said. “My teammates and me gave everything we have to save the game today.

“Luckily we managed to battle back from two goals down. This draw is just like a win for us.”

In Tuesday’s other encounter two-time former champions Lokomotiv Moscow won their season-opening encounter with Arsenal Tula 1-0 courtesy of a goal by Georgian back Solomon Kverkvelia.