Russia striker Alexander Kokorin’s 83rd-minute volley proved crucial as Dynamo Moscow left the Russian Premier League relegation zone with a 3-2 come-from-behind home win over ten-man Amkar Perm on Saturday.
The Moscow team is now 14th, two points ahead of FC Volga and Mordovia Saransk, who now occupy both relegation spots with four points apiece. Amkar stay ninth.
Dynamo entered the game on the back of seven defeats in eight league matches.
The match was largely even until Amkar saw Ivan Cherenchikov sent off on 37 minutes when the defender picked up his second booking for a cynical foul.
Martin Jakubko had opened the scoring on 25 minutes with a calm finish after seizing on a Dynamo defensive lapse, before on-loan Austrian Jakob Jantscher equalized with his first goal for Dynamo five minutes later, finishing from a Kuranyi layoff.
Dynamo had the better of the game after Cherenchikov saw red, but proved unable to break down the visitors until Kuranyi headed in from Balasz Dzsudzsak’s cross on 78 minutes.
An 83rd-minute volley at the far post from Alexander Kokorin safeguarded Dynamo’s first points of the season at home, Kokorin scoring from Zvjezdan Misimovic’s assist.
Amkar chased the game and got a consolation goal when Michal Breznanik scored on his debut deep into injury time.
On Friday, FC Krasnodar thrashed Mordovia Saransk 6-1 in the weekend’s opening fixture, and CSKA Moscow came back from 2-0 down to beat FC Volga 3-2 earlier Saturday.
Saturday also sees Zenit St. Petersburg travel to Krylya Sovetov and Terek play Lokomotiv Moscow.
On Sunday, Spartak Moscow face FC Rostov and Rubin Kazan play FC Kuban, before Monday’s Caucasus derby between Alania Vladikavkaz and Anzhi ends the round of games.
