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Alan Dzagoev
The experience Russian attacker was the pre-game ‘Usual Suspect’ to perform against the Dutch. He already has 27 senior caps to his name and has far more experience than any player in this tournament (still only 22, mind you). Having missed the first game against Spain due to commitments to the national side, Dzagoev was a welcome addition to the starting eleven for the young Russians.
It must be said that his game after the sending off was fairly restricted, and he didn’t see the ball much. But with the Russians kicking off with an intent to come something out of the game, Dzagoev settled in comfortably into the game. His coordination with Fyodor Smolov was worrying the Dutch defence. The two combined well to string a few passes together and attack Zoet’s goal. This combination was seen at the start of the game when Smolov let a through ball go past him, knowing Dzagoev was waiting behind to trap the ball and take a shot on goal. A shot that whistled wide of the post.
His smart movement behind the striker is an example of his experience, as he knew the pitch better than anyone of the field. He understood the movement of his team-mates, picking his passes out and delaying them even in an advanced role unless he was certain of meeting a team-mate. An 84% pass completion rate (with only 8 other outfield players in the side) is a good number to maintain.
Followers of Russian football will tell you of Dzagoev’s impressive creative vision, something we saw very little of in this game. The man bursts of class.
