Euro 2020: Russia Back On Track After Win Over Finland News

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Euro 2020: Russia Back On Track After Win Over Finland

By Daily Sports on June 16, 2021

A goal in first-half stoppage time by Aleksei Miranchuk got Russia's Euro 2020 campaign back on track as they beat Finland 1-0 in Group B on Wednesday.

Joel Pohjanpalo thought he had given the Finns the lead in the fifth minute but his powerful header was ruled out for offside after a VAR review, and the rest of the first half was played at a high tempo.

With both sides committing players forward in attack, Miranchuk popped up just before the break to curl in a superb left-footed effort to put his side in front.

The Finns, who beat Denmark 1-0 at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen on Saturday following Christian Eriksen's on-field collapse, threw everything they had at their neighbours but struggled to hit the target as the Russians held on to win.

The result moves Stanislav Cherchesov's side up to second in the standings on three points, ahead of Finland thanks to the head-to-head result. Belgium, who beat Russia 3-0 in their opener, top the group ahead of their game against Denmark on Thursday.

Russia have only lost one of their 19 matches against Finland in all competitions (inc. games as USSR/CIS), picking up 13 wins in the process (D5).

Russia registered their first win at the European Championships since beating Czech Republic in 2012 (4-1) – ending a six-match winless run in the competition.

Russia ended a nine-match run without a clean sheet at the European Championships – their first shutout since a 2-0 win over Sweden in 2008.

Aleksey Miranchuk’s goal in first half stoppage time (46:21) was the longest wait for a shot on target in a game at EURO 2020 so far.

Since 1980, only Sweden at Euro 2016 (0) have managed fewer shots on target in their opening two games of a single European Championships tournament than Finland (2) this summer.

Despite attempting 10 more shots against Russia (11) than they did versus Denmark (1), Finland’s Expected Goals total today was 0.72 - just 0.38 more than they posted against the Danes (0.34).

Artem Dzyuba has had a hand in 22 goals in his last 21 appearances in all competitions for Russia (14 goals, 8 assists).

Aleksey Miranchuk, who scored his sixth goal in his 35th cap for Russia, ended a run of nine appearances in all competitions without a goal for his country – with his previous goal coming in November 2019 vs San Marino. (Reuters)

•Russia's Aleksei Miranchuk and teammate celebrating the all-important goal . . . Wednesday

Source Daily Sports

Posted June 16, 2021