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Key Battle: Uruguay vs Russia – Can Godin stem free-flowing Russian attack without Gimenez?

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Key Battle: Uruguay vs Russia – Can Godin stem free-flowing Russian attack without Gimenez? You would have got ludicrously long odds on Russia being the top scorers at the 2018 World Cup before the tournament started. However, two games into the group stage and only England and Belgium have netted as many times as the hosts this summer (8). Russia have performed above expectations this su...

The Best Bet: Stalemate anticipated in Group A shootout between Russia and Uruguay

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The Best Bet: Stalemate anticipated in Group A shootout between Russia and Uruguay Uruguay were expected to top Group A with ease after being drawn alongside hosts Russia, Egypt and Saudi Arabia but the South Americans have laboured to two successive 1-0 wins. Oscar Tabarez’s side have already qualified for the knockout phase of the competition but must beat Russia in Monday...

World Cup warm-up: The permutations ahead of Group A’s conclusion on Monday

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World Cup warm-up: The permutations ahead of Group A’s conclusion on Monday  The final round of group matches at the 2018 World Cup kick off on Monday and some countries will have the luxury of looking ahead and planning their potential round of 16 opponents. Hosts Russia and Uruguay already secured qualification to the knockout phase of the competition, eliminating Egypt an...

Russia vs Egypt: Why Dzagoev's injury has proved a blessing in disguise for hosts

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Russia vs Egypt: Why Dzagoev's injury has proved a blessing in disguise for hosts Seeing Alan Dzagoev pull up with a suspected hamstring problem against Saudi Arabia was tough to watch. The creator was previously deemed the future of Russian football, but a series of injury issues has hindered the 28-year-old. It was the same against Saudi Arabia last week.However, while it was t...

The Best Bet: Huge odds on Salah to return with a goal against Russia

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The Best Bet: Huge odds on Salah to return with a goal against Russia Entering the game in very different moods, hosts Russia’s victory over Saudi Arabia may have been expected but the manner and margin of the 5-0 win was a huge boost to both the team and the fans.Egypt, meanwhile, were moments away from an impressive point in their opener with Uruguay and what ...

World Cup warm up: Can returning Salah bring Russia back down to earth?

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World Cup warm up: Can returning Salah bring Russia back down to earth? There were fears Russia would implode at their own World Cup. The hosts lost a number of key players in the months leading up to this summer’s tournament and were forced to coax 38-year-old Sergey Ignashevich out of international retirement. However, Russia are in dreamland at the moment after...

World Cup Scout: Russia vs Saudi Arabia - All eyes on Arsenal target

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World Cup Scout: Russia vs Saudi Arabia - All eyes on Arsenal target It may be an underwhelming opening to the 2018 World Cup but there are still some players on display when Russia face Saudi Arabia that will be being monitored by scouts from across Europe, with one player in particular set to be in the spotlight.While Fedor Smolov’s goals will be crucial to t...

The Best Bet: How to treble your money on Russia vs Saudi Arabia

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The Best Bet: How to treble your money on Russia vs Saudi Arabia There’s always plenty of pressure on the host nation to win the opening match of the tournaments but that weight of expectation is even heavier on Russia, with the bookies making them strong favourites to overcome Saudi Arabia.The AFC qualifiers are the lowest seed in a group that is deemed by...

World Cup warm up: Russia face rude awakening in 'dream' opener

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World Cup warm up: Russia face rude awakening in 'dream' opener The World Cup is upon us, and while the tournament opener is one that very few have been able to get enthused about, Russia’s clash with Saudi Arabia on Thursday is a match that the hosts daren’t lose.When the draw was made last December, Group A was seen as the most favourable and a dre...

World Cup Countdown: The ones to watch for Russia

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World Cup Countdown: The ones to watch for Russia With 33 days until the big kick-off in the 2018 World Cup, we begin a series looking at the 32 competing nations, focusing on a star man and one to watch from each, starting with the hosts.As with any host nation, it’s always difficult to assess the exact shape that the team is in with regards...