Russia's Aleksandr Erokhin scored in each half at home to Cyprus, with Fedor Smolov, Andrey Mostovoy, Aleksei Sutormin and Anton Zabolotny also on target in the last 35 minutes.
After hosting the 2018 World Cup, they are looking to make it into successive World Cups, and a victory against Cyprus will take them one step closer to their dream.
If the bet on a home win between Russia and Cyprus on Thursday evening pays off as expected and Croatia also win against underdog Malta, a draw in Split at the weekend would be enough for the 2018 World Cup hosts to secure a place in Qatar in the winter of 2022.
Below the text is a list of the direct games.
With five wins and one draw, the direct comparison clearly goes to the Russians, who have conceded only one goal in total.
Prior to taking charge of Rostov, Karpin served as Spartak Moscow's manager, leading the club to the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2011.