Russia will travel to the European Championship this summer to build on their superb home performance at the 2018 World Cup.

Backed by a voracious home crowd, Stanislav Cherchesov’s side defied all expectations in the last World Cup, finishing second only to Uruguay in Group A, before beating Spain on penalties in round of 16 to set up a quarter-final clash with Croatia, who had to resort to kicking to ultimately defeat the hosts.

It was the first time Russia had passed the group stages of a World Cup since 1986, when it was the first time in a major tournament since Euro 2008, when they reached the semi-finals.

As such, expectations have been raised among fans after a heroic performance three years ago, although they were drawn in a tough squad alongside Belgium, Denmark and Finland. So, can players live up to the billing on the pitch?

The best players Russia will bring to Euro 2020

Goalkeeper: Anton Shunin

Due to Igor Akinfeev who holds the No.1 shirt for 111 caps in 14 years, Russia enters these euros with a shortage of goalkeepers at the international level. At the moment, Anton Shunin seems to be their best option.

The 34-year-old started the last three World Cup qualifiers against Malta, Slovenia and Slovakia to take his international caps to double digits.

Shunin has spent his entire career with Dynamo Moscow and while major honors have eluded him, the veteran has Champions League and Europa League experience under his belt, while keeping over 100 clean sheets for the club. .

This season, Shunin (who is blessed with brilliant reflexes, making up for his lack of ability with the ball at his feet) has been one of the busiest goalkeepers in the Russian Premier League as Dynamo chased a place in the League. champions.

Defender: Mario Fernandes

While not the most glamorous of players, especially considering some of the attacking full-backs who will be on display this summer, Mario Fernandes is also stable as they come right-back for CSKA Moscow and Russia.

The Brazilian-born defender has made more interceptions than any other CSKA player so far this season, using his reading of the game to step in and steal the ball at the perfect moment. Fernandes’ aggressiveness in the tackle also makes him an extremely undesirable opponent in individual battles with wingers.

Fernandes, who recently signed a new deal with CSKA, placed second among Russian players in ball recoveries (34) and aerial duels won (21) at the 2018 World Cup, while he was third for tackles (11), interceptions (eight) and plays (19). Expect him to play the same level of importance at Euros.

Midfielder: Aleksandr Golovin

Aleksandr Golovin scored one goal and two assists in the 2018 World Cup, becoming one of the stars of the show for the hosts. Since then, he has gotten better and better.

The 24-year-old made a move to Monaco following that 2018 screening for an undisclosed amount, a transfer the French club have confirmed to be a record transfer. Although he was a bit slow at the start, Golovin has become one of Monaco’s most important players, especially this season, where he has scored four goals and eight assists in 18 Ligue 1 appearances, keeping The Monegasques firmly in the title race.

Demonic dribbler and precision passer, Golovin glides through midfield, picking up pockets of space to grab the ball and wreak havoc on the opposing defense. In a Russian side relatively devoid of attacking strength and creativity, apart from Denis Cheryshev of Valencia and Aleksi Miranchuk of Atalanta, getting Golovin on the ball in dangerous areas is going to define their chances this summer.

Attacker: Artem Dzyuba

With goals against Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Spain, Artem Dzyuba wrote his name in Russian football folklore during the 2018 World Cup and has remained a hugely important player to them ever since, scoring 13 more. goals through the Nations League, qualifying for the European Championship and the World Cup. combined. The audible roar of the Russian crowd every time Dzyuba receives the ball is palpable.

Dzyuba has also remained extremely prolific at club level with Zenit Saint Petersburg and while not the most mobile his ability to hold the ball, bring others into play and complete chances in and around the surface with infallible precision will make it a handle for everything. opposing central defender. Measuring 6ft 6in, the 32-year-old is also a monster in the air, so getting crosses in the box could be a very effective ploy for Russia, who will also be looking to make the most of set pieces.

The manager: Stanislav Cherchesov

After leaving the group stage without a win at Euro 2016, Russia made the decision to do without Leonid Slutsky, replacing him with Cherchesov, who has been a popular choice so far thanks to his Cup performance. world 2018.

That said, recent results have left the 57-year-old under a bit of pressure, with Russia only succeeding in second place in their two Nations League campaigns since the World Cup, despite recently having suffered a humiliating 5-0 loss to Serbia and a 0-0 draw with the minnows of Moldova.

So there’s a lot of work to be done for Cherchesov, but with two of their three group stage games staged in St. Petersburg, maybe that home comfort can inspire more tournament heroes this summer.

Tactics

Although Cherchesov experienced a back-five, 4-2-3-1 has been his lineup of choice over the past year. Dzyuba will lead the line, but his heist play will be key to involving Golovin and Miranchuk, with the midfielder pair having to both make support runs beyond their striker and provide him with the final pass for them to do. it adds to its considerable. counting of objectives.

Cheryshev will be a goal threat from the flanks, as he did three years ago at the World Cup, while Fernandes and ex-Chelsea veteran Yuri Zhirkov are expected to complete a functional but strong Russian backline that will try. to frustrate the opposition.

As mentioned, set pieces will be extremely important for Cherchesov’s side, while the technical ability of their midfielders should give them plenty of possession, even against some of the heavyweights in this summer’s tournament.

The Forms Guide

Euro 2020 Qualifications: WLWWWWWWWL

Russia have qualified for Euro 2020 in style, winning eight of their 10 games. Only Belgium, who have beaten Russia twice, finished above them, with 24 points from Cherchesov, scoring 33 goals and conceding just eight. Dzyuba was the top scorer in Group I with nine goals.

Recent encounters: LWWLLDDDLW

Despite winning two of their last three games, Russia have been anything but convincing against Slovenia and Malta. Indeed, as mentioned, Cherchesov came under fire after his team suffered a six-game winless streak to see 2020.

Russia’s odds for Euro 2020

Along with Poland and Austria, the price of Russia is 66/1 with Sky Bet to win the Euros and can be firmly categorized as a dark and potentially troublesome horse, albeit far from the main contenders. With Belgium and Denmark accompanying them in Group B, it’s no surprise to see odds as long as 4/1 being offered to end up.

However, Russia is 2/5 to qualify for group B, possibly as one of the top four teams in third place, while Dzyuba represents their best chance to produce a Golden Shoe winner at 33/1, alongside Marcus Rashford, Kai Havertz and Diogo Jota.

(The odds for this article are correct at the time of writing. 18+ only, BeGambleAware.org)