Russia vs Brazil Live Score and Commentary, Pre- World Cup 2018 International Friendlies

PEEP! PEEP! PEEEEEEEEEEP!

RUSSIA 0 - 3 BRAZIL

Well, that was fun. It was a pretty horrible first half-hour that sparked to life during the dying fags of the first half, before Brazil turned it on during the second half and swept the hosts away.

Thank you for your company, see you in a bit for Argentina vs Italy! Anirudh Menon signing out...

Toodle-ooo!

92' Zhirkov plays in a weak floater into the near post. Bread and butter this for Allison

91' THREE MINUTES ADDED ON. Nothing happens in the first

90' Taison sends Zhirkov to fetch a pail of water with a superb turn but as he plays in Fred, the Russian's manage to fall back in line and that's a goalkick for Russia.

89' Firmino takes a pop, it deflects off Kudryashov. He takes another, once again it deflects off Kurdyashov - and this time Akinfeev gathers

88' Douglas Costa does superbly to track back and stop a Smolnikov cross with Russia loading bodies in the Brazil box. They now start doing that pass-pass-pass thing that Tite so loves

87' DZAGOEV TAKESSS!!! BUT IT'S WELL WIDE OFF ALLISON'S RIGHT HAND POST!

86' Freekick nigh on 20 yards out of goal. Casemiro with a filthy tackle from behind...

85' Fagner swings from 25 yards, it shanks away for a useless goalkick. Meanwhile, Tite gives 32 year old Gremio man Pedro Geromel on for the rather excellent Miranda.

84' Zhirkov tries to take on Fagner, he doesn't succeed but Russia rally around their ageless veteran and their high press leads to Russia winning a corner. The home side takes of Zobnin and throws on Erokhin. A forward for a midfielder, might as well throw him on eh?

82' Dzagoev picks Marcelo's pocket, but Smolnikov's ball into the middle is easily red by Fred. He feeds Taison, who in turn looks to feed in Firmino but the ball's a bit too wayward. Tite takes off Alves and brings on Fagner as he gives his squad the entire run out.

80' Russia's high press is keeping Brazil pegged back and the home crowd are letting their appreciation be known. More of this please, Russia!

79' A double change for Brazil, Taison and Fred of Shakhtar Donetsk are coming on for Coutinho and Willian. Russia takes off Samedov for Igor Smolnikov

77' OH MY LORD! OH. MY. Russia maraud forward and confusion reigns in the Brazilian box as Miranchuk loops a ball that looks headed into the back of the net but Thiago Silva scrambles back to head clear off the line. His header is straight at Zobolotny, though, and the substitute inexplicably chests it weakly back to Miranda, who clears off the line. Again. That should have been 1 for Russia!

76' Yuri Zhirkov is ON for the tireless Dimitri Kumbarov. The veteran's entry is greeted with a loud, loud cheer from the Luzhniki

75' Brazil race forward on the counter but Costa's ball into the box is straight at Akinfeev. This has suddenly become gloriously end-to-end.

74' Russia stream forward in the corner and Golovin tries to play in Kumbarov down the left, but his ball is just too close to Thiago Silva and the PSG man mops it up

73' Brazil are putting Russia under the cosh here - Willian races past four and into the box, before teeing up Costa. Costa can't get a shot off and he plays it back to Willian, but the Chelsea man's shot is well blocked

72' Paulinho's been a revelation for A Selecao. In his last 13 games for Brazil, he's scored seven and assisted three. WOOF!

71' Marcelo tries to play in Douglas Costa down the box, but that's too much even for the speedy Costa. Changes aplenty as Paulinho is taken off for Renato Augusto; while Fyodor Smolov is taken for Anton Zobolotny

69' The Luzhniki comes alive as Smolov swivels and plays in Kumbarov down the left of the box. The left wing-back's shot from a tight angle, though, is straight at Allison

68' The thorn laden first half has transformed into a race track as far as the Brazilians are concerned. But it's Russia who play a bit of excellent football to wreak havoc in the Brazilian half. A shot is fired from right outside the 6 yard box but it sleeps in the stands.

WOOF! BRAZZZZILLLL! Willian dances away from three defenders before lifting it into the six-yard box where Paulinho is OH SO FREE. And this time he makes no mistake as he nods it in from three yards

66' GOOOOOOOOOOAL! PAULINHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

64' Paulinho's late runs are causing all sorts of manic chaos in the Russian box. Kudryashov has to be on his toes to poke the ball away from him this time. Tite takes the stoppage to bring off Gabriel Jesus, and bring on Roberto Firmino

63' Sub for Russia as Aleksei's twin brother Anton Miranchuk comes on for Denis Glushakov. Brazil launch another ball forward, but Jesus' strayed offside

Two steps, bang. Akinfeev dives the wrong way and that's Brazil's second.

62' GOOOOOOAL! COUTINHO!

61' PENALTY!!! GOLOVIN PULLS PAULINHO BACK AS THE BARCA MAN MAKES ANOTHER SUPERB RUN..

60' OH MY LORD! HOW DID THAT STAY OUT! COUTINHO FLOATED ACROSS THE RUSSIAN BOX WITH SOME LOVELY DANCING FEET; BEFORE HE FED IN PAULINHO. FROM TWO YARDS OUT, WITH AKINFEEV PARALLEL TO HIM AND AN EMPTY NET BEGGING IN FRONT OF HIM - HE PASSES IT BACK TO AKINFEEV. BACK. IN FRONT OF AN EMPTY NET.

59' Willian ties to feed Coutinho with a sweeping cross-field but Samedov is in the right place once again and cushions a header back to his keeper.

58' Kumbarov and Smolov combine down the left - where Dani Alves looks a touch suspect - and the Russians have a corner; which is cleared by Casemiro.

57' Now it's Brazil's turn to defend deep as the hosts turn on the screws... pass, pass, pass, go the men in white

56' Kumbarrov and Dzagoev work neat little triangles down the left as Russia try to play their way back into the game. The ball's flowing through Dzagoev

55' YAAY! Russia's most inventive player is on! Alan Dzagoev takes the place of Aleksei Miranchuk

That Smolov interference proved oh, so costly! Jesus charged forward on the counter, fed in Willian who won a corner off a double deflection (which included Akinfeev's face). From it Thiago Silva won the first header which was saved superbly by the Russian skipper; but the ball bounced out to Miranda who smashed it into the roof of the net from two yards out.

53' GOOOOOAL! MIRANDAAAAAAAA!

51' Golovin streams forward brilliantly and plays in Kumbarrov, who's cutback looks perfect for Zobnin. but Smolov takes it off his toes.

50' Costa does exceedingly well to keep in a hopeless Marcelo punt, and the ball runs onto Paulinho, who whacks a soft-ish attempt straight at the CSKA legend

49' Casemiro has a pop from thirty yards - and its dasvidanya to that ball.

48' OOOOH MY! COSTA PICKS OUT WILLIAN WITH A PEACH OF A CROSS, THE CHELSEA MAN TOUCHES IT INTO THE PATH OF ANOTHER ONE OF PAULINHO'S SUPERB RUNS, BUT THE BARCA MAN DIRECTS HIS SHOT RIGHT AT AKINFEEV!

47' Russia play the ball around neatly in the middle of the park, but a Willian steal sets off a Brazil counter...

46' Marcelo plays through Costa on the wing, but Granat does ever so well to see him off, and win the ball back.

PEEP! WE ARE OFF AGAIN!

Akash Mishra's mailed in - "It'll be such a shame if one among Germany, France, Brazil, or Spain don't lift the world cup given the insane amount of talent at their disposal, though I'd still opine that Brazil have the most complete squad of 'em all. That notwithstanding, you know what *those two* can do all by themselves!!"

Without Neymar, though, Akash, this Brazilian team looks worryingly ordinary

And yes, those two. CANNOT WAIT.

PEEP! PEEEEP! HALF-TIME! RUSSIA 0 - 0 BRAZIL

Brazil started this one like they were going to hand Russia a pasting, but as the half wore on, Russia grew in strength and if anything crafted the better of the chances. Better finishing and they'd really have given Tite something to think about.

I'm off for some tea, see you in a bit.

46' Which culminates with a meaningless bit of passing around.

45' Marcelo tries to feed in Coutinho down the left but his West Brom-esque punt is useless. There'll be a minute added on.

44' Another superb, superb, Paulinho dummy allows Alves' ball to run to Jesus. The Man City striker looks to play Paulinho back in, but Kurdyashov does ever so well to slide in and poke the ball away for a corner. Which comes to nothing as the ref penalises someone in blue for some form of infringement or the other.

42' Brazil are being suffocated here and Russia are growing in stature as they maraud forward. One-touch passes through midfield allows Miranchuk to run into space in the Brazil third, but then he spoils all that good work by thrashing it into Orbit. The Russian space program will probably do a thesis on that one.

Russia vs Brazil Live Score and Commentary, Pre- World Cup 2018 International Friendlies

Russia 0 - 3 Brazil (Miranda 53', Coutinho 62', Paulinho 66')