Game 3: Russia 3-1 Egypt
Russia 3-1 Egypt
Well, you can’t say I didn’t tell you so, but Russia have now scored eight goals in two games and are through to the last 16. The enduring power of the Siberian salt mines to motivate is still strong then. The draw has been kind to them, with the two easiest games first
Before the the game there was a lot of meaningless rubbish in the English press about how Mo Salah was going to make a difference for Egypt in this World Cup, but in the end his Champions League final injury put paid to that idea. He did play the whole of this game and scored a penalty, but in truth it was too little, too late, as by that time Russia were already three goals up and effectively out of sight.
I would not attach too much to the way the Russians have dismantled Egypt and Saudi Arabia, as they will encounter far better teams in the last 16, but I suspect we might get a better idea of how they are when they meet Uruguay on the 25th June. Everyone kept banging on about how Russia were the 70th rank team and yet they have looked anything but that so far. Yes, there was an element of luck in the first Russian goal in the 47th minute, when one of the Egyptian defenders diverted the ball into his own net, but from then on there was only going to be one winner and it wasn’t going to be Egypt.
The second goal from Cheryshev and the third from Dzyuba were good goals, from an increasingly confident team and it will be fascinating to see how far this newly discovered confidence takes them.
Well, you can’t say I didn’t tell you so, but Russia have now scored eight goals in two games and are through to the last 16. The enduring power of the Siberian salt mines to motivate is still strong then. The draw has been kind to them, with the two easiest games first
Before the the game there was a lot of meaningless rubbish in the English press about how Mo Salah was going to make a difference for Egypt in this World Cup, but in the end his Champions League final injury put paid to that idea. He did play the whole of this game and scored a penalty, but in truth it was too little, too late, as by that time Russia were already three goals up and effectively out of sight.
I would not attach too much to the way the Russians have dismantled Egypt and Saudi Arabia, as they will encounter far better teams in the last 16, but I suspect we might get a better idea of how they are when they meet Uruguay on the 25th June. Everyone kept banging on about how Russia were the 70th rank team and yet they have looked anything but that so far. Yes, there was an element of luck in the first Russian goal in the 47th minute, when one of the Egyptian defenders diverted the ball into his own net, but from then on there was only going to be one winner and it wasn’t going to be Egypt.
The second goal from Cheryshev and the third from Dzyuba were good goals, from an increasingly confident team and it will be fascinating to see how far this newly discovered confidence takes them.
