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RUSSIA
How they qualified
Russia qualified automatically as tournament hosts. Their recent records in major tournaments have been abysmal, failing to get past the group stages since the 2008 Euros, when they made it all the way to the semis before losing to eventual champions Spain.
The squad, in general, lacks the quality that the 2008 team possessed. Led by goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, most of the defence from that 2008 team have retired while injury problems have continued to haunt their ace midfielder Alan Dzagoev. The strikers do not inspire much confidence either with only Fyodor Smolov and Artem Dyzuba scoring more than 10 international goals.
Tactics & Formation
In general, Russia tend to play with a back three, allowing the wing backs to push forward while one midfielder drops off to provide cover. For creativity, Stanislav Cherchesov’s men depend on Dzagoev, who has the license to roam, linking attacking play and making late runs into the box to provide a goalscoring threat.
The Russians also like to go long, down the wide spaces with striker Smolov chasing down everything. As a result, Russia can look disjointed in possession while defending. If Dzagoev has an off day, Russia will bank on their highly rated midfielder Aleksandr Golovin.
Players to Watch out for
Alan Dzagoev: Having been sidelined with injury for most of the 2017/18 season, Russian fans breathed a sigh of relief when Dzagoev was named in the squad for the World Cup. The playmaker, who can play anywhere behind the striker, has scored 9 times for Russia in 56 outings so far.
Fedor Smolov: The squad’s top scorer with 12 goals in 31 games, Smolov will look to bring the Russian midfield into play more often than not. The 28-year-old striker enjoyed a decent season with Krasnodar scoring 14 goals in 22 league games.
Denis Cheryshev: One of the rare players plying his trade outside Russia, Cheryshev made his return to the International fold after a gap of two years. A former Real Madrid graduate, Cheryshev will look to terrorize defences on the wing.
Verdict
Russia have talent in midfield, but a disjointed defence, an error-prone goalkeeper and a lack of real firepower could see them struggle to emerge from the group. Yet nothing can be asserted before the teams actually line-up on the field. The team will enjoy wonderful fan support which could turn out to be inspiring. Prediction: Group-stage exit.
Squad
Head coach: Stanislav Cherchesov
Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow), Vladimir Gabulov (Club Brugge), Andrey Lunev (Zenit St Petersburg).
Defenders: Vladimir Granat, Fedor Kudryashov (both Rubin Kazan), Ilya Kutepov (Spartak Moscow), Andrey Semenov (Akhmat Grozny), Sergei Ignashevich, Mario Fernandes (both CSKA Moscow), Igor Smolnikov (Zenit St Petersburg).
Midfielders: Yuri Gazinskiy (Krasnodar), Aleksandr Golovin, Alan Dzagoev (both CSKA Moscow), Aleksandr Erokhin, Yuri Zhirkov, Daler Kuzyaev (all Zenit St Petersburg), Roman Zobnin, Alexsandr Samedov (both Spartak Moscow), Anton Miranchuk (Lokomotiv Moscow), Denis Cheryshev (Villarreal).
Forwards: Artem Dzyuba (Arsenal Tula), Aleksey Miranchuk (Lokomotiv Moscow), Fedor Smolov (Krasnodar).
