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#1 Russia defy expectations to virtually reach the knockout stages
Not many had given Russia much chance of qualifying from Group A at the expense of Egypt. After all they were the lowest ranked team coming into the competition. Stanislav Cherchesov's men were also labelled as 'the worst Russian team ever' by the local media.
But a World Cup that has been full of surprises in its first week saved the best surprise for the home nation who are now on the verge of playing in the knockout stages. After two convincing wins, there is a chance that Russia may finish as the winners of Group A.
Russia scored 8 goals in two games and conceded just one. This is the best start ever by a host nation. Italy held this record until now for their feat in the 1934 World Cup where they conceded one more than this group of Russians.
