A deft lob by Alexander Kokorin and a late penalty by Zvjezdan Misimovic gave Dynamo Moscow a 2-0 win at Lokomotiv Moscow on Sunday, their first victory since November taking them to joint fourth on points in the Russian Premier League.
The Russia international struck just before half time, chesting down a high ball and angling a lob just over Guilherme in the Lokomotiv goal for his fifth of the season.
Misimovic sealed it from the spot two minutes from time after Alexander Samedov was brought down by Lokomotiv defender Magomed Ozdoev.
Roman Pavlyuchenko blasted the hosts' best chance over the bar ten minutes from time, and Dynamo held out, consigning Lokomotiv to their first defeat since a 2-1 defeat to Zenit in the fall.
Dynamo ended a wretched run of form that has seen them lose four and draw one of their last five games, throwing themselves back into the race for second place, occupied by CSKA Moscow on 65 points. Dynamo and Spartak have 62. Lokomotiv remain third with 63.
"We really needed this win," Dynamo coach Sergei Silkin said. "Such a long run of bad luck really had us in a bad way and I'm really grateful to the guys for giving their all right up to the final whistle. We really earned the win."
Lokomotiv coach Jose Couceiro said his side were slow out of the blocks.
"We started the game pretty badly, to be honest, and only began to play good football after we conceded the first goal," he said. "But by then it was hard to get back into the game because Dynamo were playing more defensively."
Neither team carved out many clear chances, but the visitors were marginally more decisive in attack
Pavlyuchenko looped an early header over Anton Shunin's crossbar.
At the other end, Andriy Voronin sent in a dangerous low cross that Guilherme had to stretch to grab.
Korkorin blasted Dynamo's first serious effort straight at Guilherme after outpacing Maxim Belyaev inside the box.
Dynamo's second decent chance fell to Igor Semshov after good work down the right by Samedov, but the midfielder's miscued effort was blocked by a sliding Taras Burlak.
Shunin then dived to his left to paw away a stinging free kick from Lokomotiv midfielder Denis Glushakov.
Just before Lokomotiv's opener, Felipe Caicedo's drive from the edge of the area was blocked by a defender.
Vladimir Rykov unleashed a wicked dipping shot that soared just over Guilherme's goal at the start of the second half.
Kokorin nearly grabbed an inadvertent second as a cross from the right was misjudged by Guilherme, who palmed it onto the crossbar and away to safety.
Pavlyuchenko stretched to a cross from former West Ham striker Viktor Obinna, but volleyed just over on 72 minutes. Glushakov fired just wide from range on 80 minutes.
Dynamo's second took the life out of their opponents and killed off the game.
Earlier Sunday, a headed goal from Obafemi Martins gave Rubin a 1-0 win over Anzhi; and Terek Grozny gifted Amkar Perm a 2-0 win thanks to two defensive slip-ups.
On Saturday, Zenit St. Petersburg took a big stride toward the title with a 2-1 win at Spartak Moscow, going nine points clear at the top, and FC Volga climbed to 12th with a 2-0 win over Rostov.
On Friday, FC Tom Tomsk ended months at the foot of the table as their 2-0 win at Spartak Nalchik lifted the Siberians to 15th.
