Second-half goals from Odil Ahmedov and Mbark Boussoufa gave Guus Hiddink's Anzhi a 2-0 win over FC Kuban in the Russian Premier League on Sunday.
Uzbek international Ahmedov struck on the hour mark, arriving late in the Kuban penalty area and connecting with Boussoufa's enticing cross.
The players swapped roles on 80 minutes with the Morocco international sweeping the ball into the corner of the net from 20 yards after collecting a pass from Ahmedov.
Guus Hiddink's second win in four games since joining Anzhi lifts the club to joint fifth on 59 points with Dynamo Moscow, who lost 3-1 to city rivals Spartak early Sunday.
For Dan Petrescu's men it was a second defeat in four games since the winter break and sees them remain bottom of the league's championship group, in eighth with 54 points.
Anzhi carved out several good chances throughout the match despite missing the suspended Samuel Eto'o, with Kuban restricted to pot shots at Vladimir Gabulov's goal.
Juan Carlos fired a header over as Anzhi set a high early tempo.
Belgian midfielder Mehdi Carcela-Gonzalez sent a stinging shot inches over from range on 13 minutes.
Anzhi's Ahmedov hit an off-target shot that Kuban centerback Luis Ricardo Zelau turned onto his own crossbar moments later, before blazing wide from 25 yards.
On a rare counterattack Kuban had the ball in the net on 38 minutes but David Tsoraev's close-range finish was ruled out for offside.
Kuban put together a flowing move a minute before half time but Vladislav Kulik hit wide as he tried to place the ball in the top corner.
Anzhi responded and the ball fell to Gonzalez in the box on a long throw-in, but the Moroccan international swiveled and struck wide with the goalkeeper stranded.
Alexander Prudnikov could have put Anzhi ahead 10 minutes into the second half but Kuban goalkeeper Alexander Belenov clawed away his spinning header.
Belenov was alert to catch substitute Boussoufa's free kick soon after.
After Anzhi took the lead, Christopher Samba steamed through the center of Kuban's midfield to unleash a shot that dipped just wide. Prudnikov, who owed his seventh start this season to Eto'o's absence, sent a left-foot drive wide before Boussoufa repeated the feat.
Kuban tried to press but left themselves vulnerable to attacks that ultimately led to a second.
Nevertheless, Tsoraev could have reduced the deficit five minutes from time but half-volleyed wide.
Players of both sides emerged from the tunnel before the match wearing white shirts with slogans in support of Bolton's Fabrice Muamba, who is recovering in a London hospital from suffering from a cardiac arrest in a game last week, and Barcelona's Eric Abidal, who is awaiting a liver transplant after having a tumor removed last year.
In the other Premier League games Sunday, Nelson Haedo Valdes rescued a 1-1 draw for Rubin Kazan away to leaders Zenit; Spartak beat Dynamo 3-1 in a fiery Moscow derby aided by an own goal by Christian Noboa; and a Hector Bracamonte strike and an overhead bicycle kick from Kornel Salata gave FC Rostov a 2-1 win over 10-man Spartak Nalchik.
On Saturday, Lokomotiv Moscow recovered from a midweek thrashing by Rubin Kazan to win 2-0 away to CSKA Moscow and consolidate third place; FC Tomsk and Krylya Sovetov played out a goalless draw; and Amkar stole a 1-0 win at Krasnodar.
Terek Grozny shoot for their fourth win in four games when they host FC Volga in Chechnya on Monday.
