CKSA Moscow has one foot in the Champions League group stage after a 3-0 first-leg win over Ruzomberok of Slovakia on Wednesday, but Spartak Moscow endured a nervy 0-0 draw against Slovan Liberec to leave it needing a home win in the second leg to progress.

At Lokomotiv Stadium, an Ivica Olic brace around the hour mark secured the win after a goalless first half, and substitute Vagner Love fired home a late third to add gloss to the scoreline.

CSKA's dangerous Brazilian playmaker Daniel Carvalho cut in from the left at 58 minutes and sent a hanging cross to the back post, where Olic rose to send a header back over the keeper and into the net.

The Croat doubled the Army side's lead seven minutes later when Vagner Love centered the ball for Olic to spoon it into an empty net.

The ever-threatening CSKA winger, Milose Krasic, fired a crossed pass in from the right for Vagner Love to smash a volley past the helpless Ruzomberok keeper Gaidukh at 83 minutes to send CSKA to Slovakia full of confidence for the second leg.

"The first half was more difficult. We should have opened the scoring earlier. ... [But] I am very happy and calm about the result," CSKA coach Valery Gazzayev said after the game.

Spartak Moscow found the going tougher to tricky Czech champion Slovan Liberec.

Despite enjoying a substantial possession advantage, Liberec failed to find a way past Spartak goalie Wojczek Kowalewski, who saved his team on more than one occasion.

But it was Spartak that wasted the best chance of the game, when Argentine forward Fernando Cavenaghi blasted one over with just the keeper to beat.

Both return legs are scheduled for Aug 23.