Many media outlets seemed to think Russia were abysmal in their 1-1 draw against England but I actually thought they looked quite comfortable. Whoever expected them to come flying out the blocks and press England high up the pitch is deluded as their game plan is to soak up pressure and hit on the counter. While they did not really create any chances in the game, the veteran central defensive pairing of Sergei Ignashevich and Vasili Berezutski looked relatively comfortable throughout and it is important to note that England striker Harry Kane did not have a single touch inside the box during the match.
Slovakia, despite having a couple of good moments, looked complacent against Wales and the Welsh team spirit and their intense style won the day for Chris Coleman’s men. As they sit bottom of the group, this game is a must-win game for Jan Kozak’s side before a tough final fixture against England if the Slovaks are to have any chance of qualifying from the group.
Of course this match is also a must win for Russia and Leonid Slutsky will have seen this as a key fixture even before the tournament got underway. It will be interesting to see how the manager changes his team from the draw with England as many players seemed to look like square pegs in round holes – attacking midfielder Aleksandr Golovin playing in a deeper role is case and point.
Although Slovakia have some decent players, notably Marek Hamsik, I believe Russia proved against England that they are able to defend against good opposition players whilst you would also expect the Russians to see more of the ball than they did against Roy Hodgson’s men. The likes of Roman Shirokov could be vital for this Group B clash if Russia are to perform well with the ball.
Overall I think Russia will hold their nerve and win this game, possibly sending Slovakia back home. Russia to win at 7/5 seems good value.
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