MOSCOW, Sept 8: Goals from Denis Cheryshev and Artem Dzyuba handed Russia victory against Turkey in their opening UEFA Nations League game, and ensured Stanislav Cherchesov’s team began life after the World Cup with a win.
Playing for the first time since their penalty shootout defeat to Croatia in the World Cup quarter-final, Russia produced a hard-working performance in Trabzon that at times lacked quality but was committed throughout.
Cheryshev and Dzyuba – two familiar faces in a much-changed Russian line-up – picked up where they left off at the World Cup, each continuing their strong goalscoring form for the national team.
Valencia winger Cheryshev opened the scoring in the 13th minute, firing home a controlled left-foot volley when the ball came to him at the back post.
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It was his fifth goal for the national team - adding to the four he scored at the World Cup this summer, including his spectacular strike against Croatia.
Turkey’s Serdar Aziz restored parity just before half-time when he struck a low shot through a crowded box after Russia failed to clear a cross, although Dzyuba – stand-in skipper in the absence of goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev – put Russia back in front four minutes into the second half when he beat the offside line and placed the ball past Turkish ‘keeper Serkan Kirintili.
While Russia were forced to withstand heavy spells of Turkish pressure in the closing 20 minutes, with goalkeeper Andrey Lunev saving well from Turkish number 10 Hakan Calhanoglu, they continued to have chances of their own, and saw Dzyuba hit the crossbar with a fierce shot on the turn in the closing stages.
Head coach Cherchesov will be particularly pleased with the result in light of the raft of changes made to playing personnel following the World Cup.
Some of those were enforced through injury or medical treatment – such as goalkeeper Akinfeev and playmaker Aleksandr Golovin – or retirement, such as the departure of defensive stalwart Sergei Ignashevich, while others were through choice, such as the absence of striker Fedor Smolov.
In the event, the faces who came in slotted in well, with goalkeeper Lunev and central defender Georgy Dzhikiya putting in solid performances.
The result means Russia sit top of Group 2 in League B of the new UEFA competition, with Sweden making up the other team in the group.
Russia next face the Czech Republic in a friendly in Rostov on Monday, before resuming their Nations League campaign in October.
