Finnish them off! Russians eye vital victory
Published 15 October, 2008, 10:01
Russia will be seeking to put the disappointment of their 2-1 defeat to Germany behind them when they meet Finland in their latest World Cup qualifier at Moscow’s Lokomotiv Stadium on Wednesday. Kick-off is at 7pm, Moscow time.
All tickets have been sold for the match, and Russia will be hoping for victory, to put them into a good position, going into the winter break (the next qualifying match will be in March 2009).
Despite the loss in Dortmund, there are some plus points Guus Hiddink can take into the match on Wednesday.
“If we play like we did in the second half against Germany and don't make stupid mistakes it will be alright,” Hiddink said.
There are no new injury worries. Denis Kolodin, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Dmitry Torbinsky are still out, but Diniar Bilyaletdinov has recovered, and will give Russia more options in midfield.
Alan Dzagoev impressed on his debut, but Hiddink is undecided whether the 18-year-old will make his first international start against the Finns. The Dutchman insists the youngster still need to ‘grow into international football’.
Goalkeeper Igor Akinfeyev believes it's imperative to get all three points to keep pace with the Germans.
“Everyone understands the last game of the year is important for us. We're playing at home so we really want to win and finish the year on a high note, and it’ll put us in a good position when the qualifying campaign resumes,” he said.
Finns the underdogs
However, it won't be easy. Finland may have never qualified for a major tournament, but they impressed in getting a 3-3 draw at home to Germany in their first qualification match.
Finland sit one point clear of Russia in Group 7 and won’t be one bit overawed by their opponents, after solid performances against Germany and Azerbaijan.
Still, despite going into the game with two good results behind them, coach Stuart Baxter has no doubt who is favourite here.
“We take the game very much as the underdogs, we know that and we’re okay with that,” Baxter said.
The Englishman admits all the pressure is on the hosts but it doesn't mean he's ready to lose the battle.
“If we lose, I’ll be very upset, my wife won’t look forward for me coming home, my dog will hide and people will leave me alone for a couple of days,” Baxter added.
The Finns say they're not just in Moscow to defend, but are expected to play with just one striker up front. Former Chelsea man Mikhael Forsell impressed Baxter in the Azerbaijan game with his goal making the difference in the 1-0 win. He’s expected to be a threat to the Russian defence.
At the other end of the field, captain and key defender Sami Hyypia knows where to expect danger from.
Baxter has one big concern in his line-up, with left-back Toni Kailio suspended for the Russian test. It’s a big blow for Finland as they will surely need to do some defending, but Russia will need to be wary of their counter-attacks.
Moenchengladbach. 8:45 PM. Germany- Wales
Russia's rivals and Group 4 leaders, Germany, have been handed a blow for their clash with Wales, which also take place on Wednesday.
Captain and talismanic midfielder, Michael Ballack, is almost certain to miss out on a starting place with a calf injury.
The Chelsea man suffered a knock in the Russian game last weekend.
It’s a loss the Germans could do without, being in possession of a less than stellar record against Wales in recent years.
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