Russia beat Egypt despite Salah scoring
The home team had their second win in the group stage, with a score of 3-1, thereby touching the ticket to the next round.
Goals: Fathy (own goal) 47', Cheryshev 59', Dzyuba 62' - Salah (penalty) 73'
The match that was considered to decide the ticket to the round of 16 in Group A was decided in the second half, with all four goals coming in this period. Russia scored three goals in a span of 15 minutes, starting with an own goal by Ahmed Fathy in the 47th minute. Denis Cheryshev doubled the lead 12 minutes later, before Artem Dzyuba hammered the final nail in the coffin for the Pharaohs.
The most notable star of the match, Mohamed Salah only had time to speak at the end of the match, with a goal to reduce the score to 1-3 from the penalty spot. The Liverpool striker seemed reluctant to start, after Egypt lost to Uruguay in the opening match, and played in a poor form. He was often surrounded by tall Russian defenders and did not have a shot on target, except for a successful penalty.
Three full points helped Russia stay on top of Group A, with a goal difference of +7. If Saudi Arabia fails to beat Uruguay in the match on June 20, the home team will qualify. Meanwhile, Egypt is stuck at the bottom of the group, with two consecutive losses, and will be officially eliminated if Uruguay does not lose to Saudi Arabia, a very unlikely possibility.
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Salah was helpless against the Russian team's defense. Photo:Reuters |
The 90 minutes at the Krestovsky Stadium were a balanced affair. This was evident in the post-match statistics. Russia and Egypt had almost equal ball possession (49% vs 51%) and had almost the same number of shots (11 vs 13).
Coach Stanislav Cherchesov surprised everyone by starting the 2018 World Cup opening match with reserve striker Dzyuba, using a cross-header style of play. During the match, Russia crossed the ball 26 times to the 1m94 tall striker, while right winger Aleksandr Samedov alone had 10 crosses.
Egypt, in a situation where they could not afford to lose if they wanted to keep their ticket to the next round, did not start the game with much confidence. It was not until the 42nd minute that the most expected striker on the attack - Salah - had his first shot when he turned and shot the ball outside the penalty area, sending it wide of the post.
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Fathy scored an own goal in the second half. Photo:AP |
Fathy's own goal was the turning point of the match.After a goalless first half, Russia took the lead just two minutes into the second half. The red shirt player's long-range shot from outside the box hit the Egyptian right-back's foot, changed direction and left goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy helpless.
With their spirits lifted, Russia played like a new team, especially on counter-attacks. In the 59th minute, Cheryshev placed the ball precisely in the penalty area after an overlap on the right wing and a perfect cross from Mario Fernandes.
Three minutes later, "pole" Dzyuba got his name on the scoreboard. The 29-year-old striker calmly supported his chest after a pass over the line, eliminated a white-shirted defender, before placing the ball accurately into the near corner.
Egypt showed no signs of fatigue after conceding three goals in a row, but they could no longer launch counterattacks like in the first half. It was not until the 73rd minute that the most expected star, Salah, converted a penalty opportunity he created into a goal to reduce the score. But that was too little for Egypt to keep even a point.
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Striker Dzyuba's classy handling of the situation in the second half. Photo:Reuters |