Euro 2016 Preview - Russia

Team: Russia

Manager: Leonid Slutsky

Group: B

Group Opponents: England, Wales, Slovakia

THE SQUAD

Since taking over from Fabio Capello in August of 2015, Slutsky has relied greatly on the nucleus of CSKA Moscow players in the squad, the team he manages at club level. Seven of the 23 are members of CSKA’s league winning side from this season, the eight player would have been key operator Alan Dzagoev who was a late pull out with injury. His international midfield partner Igor Denisov is also out of the competition with injury, leaving captain Roman Shirokov the only midfield starter from qualifying left in the squad. Fedor Smolov, Artem Dzyuba and Aleksandr Kokorin are the three men tasked with a battle to lead the line for the Russian side who will have to do without Valencia’s Denis Cheryshev, the most notable absentee from the 23.

The squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moskva), Yuri Lodygin (Zenit), Guilherme (Lokomotiv Moskva).

Defenders: Aleksei Berezutski (CSKA Moskva), Vasili Berezutski (CSKA Moskva), Sergei Ignashevich (CSKA Moskva), Dmitri Kombarov (Spartak Moskva), Roman Neustädter (Schalke), Georgi Schennikov (CSKA Moskva), Roman Shishkin (Lokomotiv Moskva), Igor Smolnikov (Zenit).

Midfielders: Igor Denisov (Zenit), Dmitri Torbinski (Krasnodar ), Aleksandr Golovin (CSKA Moskva), Denis Glushakov (Spartak Moskva), Oleg Ivanov (Terek Grozny), Pavel Mamaev (Krasnodar), Aleksandr Samedov (Lokomotiv Moskva), Oleg Shatov (Zenit), Roman Shirokov (CSKA Moskva).

Strikers: Artem Dzyuba (Zenit), Aleksandr Kokorin (Zenit), Fedor Smolov (Krasnodar).

HOW THEY GOT THERE

Russia finished second in Group G, behind the impressive and unbeaten in qualifying, Austria. Their only two defeats in qualifying did come at the hands of Austria, 1-0 losses in both Vienna and Moscow. They did however pip Sweden to second, by virtue of a 3-0 win awarded to them following violent crowd trouble against Montenegro in Podgorica last March, the game abandoned at 0-0. To be frank, Russia were entirely unimpressive in qualification, drawing and barely defeating lowly Moldova away and at home respectively. A 1-0 win over Sweden thanks to a second half Artem Dzyuba strike their most important and impressive win of qualifying. They finished on 20 points, 2 ahead of third placed Sweden.

KEY PLAYERS

Roman Shirokov: The captain of the team and the lynchpin of the Russian midfield for almost 10 years now. He is past his physical prime for sure, but in the absences of Alan Dzagoev and Igor Denisov mean Shirokov is utterly vital to Russian progress in the tournament. A good holding midfielder with a decent range of passing, he will be tasked with being the glue that holds a patchwork midfield together.

Oleg Shatov: One of the most intriguing players at the tournament, Shatov is a diminutive wideman with frightening pace and a wonderful low centre of gravity, that allows him to exhibit his quick feet and classy crossing. With strikers like Kokorin, Dzyuba and Smolov to feed, his crossing ability will be vital to Russia bagging some goals.

Roman Neustadter: The former German international, who picked up two caps in friendlies for the world champions following the last European Champions, switched allegiances to Russia last year, having been born in Dnipropetrovsk, USSR in 1988 to a Kazakh father of German origin. (He qualifies, I swear). Having plied his trade in Germany his entire career, he was once a highly touted holding midfielder. Now 27, he will likely line up alongside Shirokov in midfield, replacing Dzagoev and his engine and passing ability will be vital to softening the blow of losing the CSKA midfielder.

WHERE THEY ARE PLAYING AND STAYING

11/06/16 VS England, Marseille

15/06/16 VS Slovakia, Lille

20/06/16 VS Wales, Toulouse

Russia’s training camp is in Croissy-Sur-Seine, just outside Paris and close to the Republic of Ireland’s training camp in Versailles.

THREE INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE TEAM

Back up goalkeeper Guilherme gained Russian citizenship on November 22 2015 and is the only player born outside the former Soviet Union to represent the Russian national team.

22 of the 23 players in the squad play their club football in the Russian Premier Division, Roman Neustadter of Schalke 04, the only exception.

Manager Leonid Slutsky was forced to retire from playing at just 19 after falling from a tree while saving a neighbour’s cat and sustaining a serious knee injury!!!

RECENT FORM

Russia come into the tournament on the back of some patchy pre-tournament form. A 1-0 win over Portugal and a 3-0 win over Lithuania the only two victories in the last six. They have suffered defeats at the hands of Croatia, France and the Czech Republic, the most recent result being a 1-1 draw with Serbia.

First game: VS England 11/06/16 Marseille