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The Russian national football team also achieved its second victory at the beginning of the World Cup 2022 qualification and leads the “Slovak” H-group. In Malta, Stanislav Čerčesov’s charges won 3: 1, but their performance was criticized by the media and fans. On Saturday, they defeated Slovenia 2: 1 and in this case, in addition to the result, the performance also resonated in a positive sense.
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The Russian coach recruited Slovenians with three middle defenders. This tactic caused the opponent problems especially during presing. Rusov sent gunner Arťom Dzjuba to the lead in the 26th minute, nine minutes later he added a second goal. Josip Iličič closed the score of the duel until the end of the first half.
In the second half, the Russian team had more of the game. He kept the ball away from his penalty area and had other chances. Dzjuba could have put his team up another goal 79 minutes into the game, after a rush down the left, but his closing shot hit the post. In the end, the locals enjoyed a close triumph.
“The mood in the team was not ideal, after the match in Malta there was a lot of criticism. We prepared for Slovenia and we were in a good mood. We are happy that we won. Everyone fought for every piece of grass. I hope we pleased people and critics. Slovenia is a strong opponent, we are about the same level, but we were better in the match. If the guests had more players than Iličič, it would be very difficult for us. “ said Dzjuba.
Čerčesov also highlighted the coverage of Iličič, who nevertheless caused the Russians the biggest problems: “It’s impossible to completely disconnect this player, but it usually worked for us. But there were times when it was difficult to eliminate him. He scored a beautiful goal. He’s a good footballer, but the tactical scheme we chose has borne fruit.”
Before Tuesday’s match against Slovakia, the Russians are at the top of the table with 6 points, the Croats are second with three. The “Vatreni” defeated Cyprus 1-0 with a goal of Mario Pašalič at home on Saturday and after the loss in Slovenia they scored their first triumph. Luka Modrič played the 135th match for the national team and became a recorder in the number of duels in the national team jersey. The leadership of the Croatian Federation presented him with a commemorative jersey after the match.
Croatian coach Zlatko Dalič was not very happy with the game of his charges, but with the result yes. His words were quoted by the 24sata.hr portal: “In particular, we did not use the wing space as I imagined, but the important thing is that we have three points. After the first goal we had to add a second one, gradually uncertainty crept to our feet. I believe that we will continue to collect points, we can not allow hesitation. “
On Tuesday, the Croats will start at home again, when they will welcome Saturday’s opponent Slovakia. “It won’t be easy against Malta. We have to break through their defensive wall and it’s always very difficult,” added Dalič.
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