A headed goal from Christian Noboa gave Dan Petrescu’s Dynamo Moscow side their first points of the season in a thrilling 3-2 derby win over Lokomotiv Moscow on Saturday.
With Petrescu watching from the stands due to a touchline ban, Dynamo put an end to their five-game losing streak and moved off the bottom of the Russian Premier League table after leapfrogging FC Rostov to take 15th.
Hungarian winger Balazs Dzsudzsak was instrumental to Dynamo’s success, scoring one goal and setting up the other two.
Dynamo took the lead for the first time this season on 12 minutes when Alexander Kokorin put the ball into the left corner after an excellent 35-yard pass from Dzsudzsak.
It took Lokomotiv only nine minutes to level the score when Brazilian forward Maicon, who took advantage of a bungled offside trap as ex-Dynamo midfielder Alexander Samedov lobbed in the ball from a free-kick.
Dzsudzsak restored Dynamo’s lead on the hour, cutting in from the right flank before beating Lokomotiv goalkeeper Dario Kresic with a shot that found a gap at the near post.
As in the first half, Lokomotiv retaliated at once with Samedov crossing from a free-kick to set Senegalese forward Dame N’Doye up to equalize with a powerful header, his first goal for Lokomotiv on only his second appearance.
Lokomotiv fans were still celebrating the goal when Ecuador midfield Noboa scored his first goal for Dynamo, heading Dzsudzsak’s right-wing cross past Kresic and into the far corner.
Vladimir Granat saved the three points for Dynamo in stoppage time with a goalline clearance after Dynamo goalkeeper Anton Shunin fumbled a save from Felipe Caicedo’s header.
Petrescu opted for five at the back in his first league game with Dynamo, while Lokomotiv coach Slaven Bilic went for aggression, playing Caicedo and Maicon up front with ex-Tottenham Hotspur striker Roman Pavlyuchenko, who was largely anonymous until replaced by N’Doye at half time.
Later Saturday, reigning champions Zenit St. Petersburg host Rubin Kazan, Terek face Spartak Moscow and FC Rostov take on Alania Vladikavkaz.
Sunday sees clashes between Amkar Perm and FC Krasnodar, CSKA Moscow and Krylya Sovetov, Anzhi and FC Mordovia.
The sixth round of games ends Monday when Petrescu’s former club FC Kuban host FC Volga.
