Rubin Kazan defeated Anzhi Makhachkala 2-1 at home Sunday to end their visitors’ seven-game winning streak and stop them retaking the top spot in the Russian Premier League.
Anzhi lost first place in the league to CSKA Moscow earlier in the day when the Muscovites beat Terek Grozny 2-1 away, and sit a point behind CSKA in second following their first league defeat since a loss to the new leaders in August.
Rubin stay eighth, but are now level on points with seventh-placed Lokomotiv Moscow.
The decisive goal was scored by Rubin’s Alan Kasaev on 20 minutes when the winger picked up the ball on the edge of the box, edged around a thicket of defenders and smacked a powerful shot that went in off the crossbar.
Earlier, Oleg Kuzmin had given Rubin the lead on four minutes when he scored off a cutback cross from Jose Salomon Rondon.
Lacina Traore replied for Anzhi on 10 minutes, the tall Ivorian scoring at the second attempt when Rubin goalkeeper Sergei Ryzhikov failed to hold the striker’s first shot off a long pass.
Rubin midfielder Bibras Natkho said the team were pleased to carry on their good form after beating Neftci Baku 1-0 in European competition Thursday.
“It was a hard game. Nice that we were able to win, Anzhi are a good team, nice to continue our victories after the Europa League,” Natkho said in televised comments
Traore almost equalized in the final minute of stoppage time when he picked up the ball in the box, but he was falling as he turned to shoot and the effort was easily saved by Ryzhikov.
Rubin could have stretched their lead on 71 minutes when Rondon crossed for Kuzmin at the far post, who headed wide with the goal open in front of him.
Shortly beforehand, Traore and Samuel Eto’o each missed chances, with Eto’o failing to connect with a misplaced Traore shot that flashed across the face of goal.
Earlier Sunday, Alexander Kokorin’s early goal gave Dan Petrescu’s Dynamo Moscow a 1-0 win at home to Krylya Sovetov.
Saturday saw Spartak Moscow beating Mordovia Saransk 2-0 at home, while FC Krasnodar drew 1-1 away to last placed side FC Volga.
A brace from Alexander Kerzhakov brought Zenit St. Petersburg a 3-2 victory away to minnows Alania Vladikavkaz.
On Friday, Lokomotiv Moscow went down to a surprise 2-1 home defeat to Amkar Perm and a late goal from Bulgaria captain Ivelin Popov gave FC Kuban a 1-0 victory at home to FC Rostov.
