SSN BET - Match of the Day: Russia – Croatia / 7.07.2018

smartell (70)in #sports • 6 years ago

Hi guys!
Having sensationally beaten out Spanish national team in 1/8 tournaments of one of favourites of the FIFA World Cup, Russia will try to do the same trick and with Croatia now.

Russia

From Russian national team very few people waited for serious progress on house "FIFA World Cup", but Stanislav Cherchesov's wards have managed to surprise many. In group Russians had no special problems, having easily dealt with Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The match with Uruguay couldn't leave Russia without the playoffs any more, but in him the destiny of the first place was decided. The duel has been lost by Russians 0:3, but as it has become clear later, this loss hasn't conceived key impact on psychological state of football players.
The Russian national team has received Spain which, to put it mildly, not too impressed in group in rivals. Spaniards have begun a match very surely – after the standard Sergio Ramos has pressed through protection and has sent a ball to gate. Spaniards haven't managed to enjoy advantage as their volleyball player the football player has played in the penal hand. The sentence from 11 meters was executed by Artem Dzyuba and the account more didn't change any more. In a penalty series Igor Akinfeev has confirmed the status of the goalkeeper with a world name and became the hero. Russia has passed in a quarterfinal, though hasn't shown bright soccer.
After the match Cherchesov wasn't too emotional, about it he was asked also by journalists, but Stanislav Salamovich most likely has reserved emotions on the final. Players who have very emotionally reacted to success in a penalty series were more talkative, in particular Dzyuba has told journalists that he was close to a faint, his joy was so big.

Croatia

Croatian national team hasn't without effort broken through on "FIFA World Cup" where has got into very complex group. Nevertheless, Zlatko Dalich's team has shown very solid soccer in group, having won three victories. The first Nigerians 0:2 have fallen, then the turn to lose to Argentina national team has come – Croats were stronger 3:0 and this victory have ensured an exit from group. In the last match half reserve structure Croatia has beaten 2:1 Iceland which has deprived of them the first place in qualification.
In 1/8 finals Croats played with Danes and looked, to put it mildly, very unconvincingly. At the very beginning of the match of team have exchanged goals then have calmed down even to a penalty series. More successful in a lottery of penalty kicks there was Croatia which contacted Russians. Dalich didn't begin to criticize the football players, the mentor has paid more attention to future rival, having characterized Russian national team as "great rival". To Croats there is a sense to be afraid of Russians, their game is far from an ideal now.

Statistics and personal meetings

Russia has lost only one of five last matches.
Victories at Russia for ten previous matches only two.
A safe series of Croatia is equal to five duels.
Four of them "checkerboard" have won.
Croatia has hammered at all five previous meetings.

Russian national team has managed to make a feat, having beaten out Spain from a tournament. Sil has been given in that duel loads, but the emotional charge from a victory is obliged to compensate them with interest. Russians surprise all on house "FIFA World Cup", easily reconstructing the game from the rival to the rival. Croatia has also spent the mass of forces in a game with Denmark, but the fact that Croats looked far more weakly, than at a group stage is more important. If Russian national team continues to bend the line, she will have every chance to compete to such strong team as equals.