Russia opens World Cup 2018 with a thumping win of 5-0 against Saudi Arabia

NewsBharati    15-Jun-2018
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Moscow, June 15: Conquering a convincing win at the World Cup opener tournament Russia bolstered the host country's hopes for a strong showing at home. Russia won the opening World Cup match against Saudi Arabia 5-0 on Thursday in Moscow.

Substitute Denis Cheryshev scored twice the first after a piece of skill that would have graced a Lionel Messi highlights reel and the second a superb shot in stoppage time on Thursday.

 

Yury Gazinsky had headed the World Cup's first goal after 12 minutes, Artem Dzyuba got the third a minute after coming on as a 70th-minute substitute and Aleksandr Golovin completed a memorable day by smashing in a free kick with the last action of the game.

The result equaled the best-ever in a World Cup opening game wherein Brazil beat Mexico 5-0 in Geneva in 1954 - as Russia took full advantage of a Saudi team who's defending fell painfully short of World Cup standard, while their attack was non-existent.

As Saudi Arabia lost all impression of the organization, Cheryshev turned a win into a thrashing with a stunning outside-of-the-foot shot in the dying moments, and Golovin once again stole the headlines with a trademark free-kick with the last touch of the game.

Having come into the game with no wins in seven matches, Russia will now face Egypt and Uruguay without undue worries about goal difference, while Saudi Arabia manager Juan Antonio Pizzi will hope not to repeat the fate of Carlos Alberto Parreira, fired by the same team after two matches in France 98.