A second-half strike from Ivorian striker Lacina Traore gave Anzhi a 1-0 victory over AZ Alkmaar in their Europa League playoff first-leg match Thursday.
Traore opened the scoring on 51 minutes, hammering the ball into the corner as he fell, after a cross delivered by Dutch midfielder Mbark Boussoufa.
The goal was immediately followed by pyrotechnics thrown on the pitch.
Big-spending Anzhi have been forced by UEFA to host their home games outside their home region of Dagestan due to security concerns, meaning that the game was held in Moscow.
Fans of Moscow teams arrived to protest Anzhi’s use of Lokomotiv Moscow’s ground for the game, chanting racial abuse at Anzhi supporters and noisily supporting AZ.
The second leg is scheduled for August 30.
