2018 World Cup: Russia 3-1 Egypt – As it happened

by Graeme Jackson

Tuesday Jun 19, 2018. 21:46

Welcome to as-it-happened coverage of the 2018 World Cup Group A match between Russia and Egypt from the Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg.

Starting line-ups

Russia: Igor Akinfeev, Ilya Kutepov, Mario Figueira Fernandes, Sergei Ignashevich, Aleksandr Golovin, Yury Gazinsky, Aleksandr Samedov, Roman Zobnin, Denis Cheryshev, Yuri Zhirkov, Artem Dzyuba

Egypt: Mohamed El-Shenawy, Ahmed Fathi, Ahmed Hegazy, Mohammed Abdel Shafi, Ali Gabr, Trezeguet, Abdallah Said, Mohamed Elneny, Tarek Hamed, Marwan Mohsen, Mohamed Salah

Commentary (press F5 to refresh)
All times CAT

90+5' - Full time - Done and dusted, Russia win and are all but sure to qualify for the last 16 (which can be confirmed if Uruguay don't lose against Saudi Arabia tomorrow). As for Egypt, they are the first team to be eliminated from the tournament.

90' - There will be four minutes of added time.

86' - Substitution - Russia's final change sees Zhirkov make way for Fyodor Kudryashov.

84' - Yellow card - Smolov into the book for shirt pulling.

82' - Substitution - Kahraba replaces Mohsen in Egypt's final change.

81' - Zobnin with a chance to restore the three-goal lead, but he hesitates too long and the opportunity is gone.

79' - Substitution - Dzyuba makes way for Fyodor Smolov in Russia's second change.

78' - Mohsen is wrestled to the ground in the box and Egypt's appeals for a penalty are waved away.

76' - Warda with an inviting cross from the right, but Akinfeev makes a solid interception.

74' - Substitution - Russia's first change sees Cheryshev make way for Daler Kuzyayev.

73' - GOAL! Russia 3-1 Egypt - Salah converts the penalty and the Pharaohs are at least on the board. Is there more to come?

72' - Penalty to Egypt! A VAR review sees a spot kick awarded after Salah tumbles just inside the box!

71' - Less than 20 minutes to play, Egypt will look to at least salvage some pride from this game.

68' - Substitution - Ramadan Sobhi replaces Trezeguet in Egypt's second change.

67' - Trezeguet shoots from the 'D' of the box... just wide.

65' - It seems an impossible mountain for Egypt to climb, but they'll have to keep up their heads up and fight to the end.

64' - Substitution - Egypt's first change sees Amr Ward replace Elneny in midfield.

62 - GOAL! Russia 3-0 Egypt - It's all falling apart for the Pharaohs! Dzyuba controls a long ball, bullies his way past a weak challenge and thunders home a shot to put the hosts three goals up!

59' - GOAL! Russia 2-0 Egypt - Well worked goal from Russia! Fernandes does great work to pull a ball back from the right by-line to find Cheryshev, who buries a low shot into the back of the net!

58' - Hegazy with a crucial header to clear Cheryshev's cross from the left.

57' - Yellow card - Trezeguet the first to be shown a yellow card tonight.

56' - The ball falls kindly for Salah in the box, but Fernandes makes a crucial block!

55' - Zobnin lucky not to be cautioned for a late challenge on Said.

53' - Trezeguet with a good run down the left flank, but his cross is a poor one and drifts out for a goal kick to Russia.

51' - Russia look more settled and confident after the goal, with Golovin pulling the strings in midfield.

48' - That's a hammer blow to Egypt's hopes. As things stand, they'll be eliminated with the tournament less than a week old!

47' - GOAL! Russia 1-0 Egypt - It's horribly unlucky for Ahmed Fathi, he redirects a scuffed shot from Zobnin into his own net and the hosts lead!

46' - Back underway in the second half. No changes from either team at the break.

45+1' - Half time - Goalless at the break. Both teams lively in attack, though neither goalkeeper has been properly tested.

44' - Approaching half time, will we get a potentially crucial goal before the break?

42' - Salah with a quick turn and shot just inside the box and it's just wide of Akinfeev's right-hand post! His first real sight of goal.

41' - A Russian corner finds the head of Dzyuba, but the striker's effort loops high and wide.

39' - Elneny chips a good ball into the box but Mohsen can't get a clean header onto the ball... and he was offside anyway.

37' - Cheryshev with a cracking cross from the left and Egypt are lucky that no Russian really attacked it.

35' - Fathy crosses from the right flank to find Mohsen, but the striker's header was a difficult one and drifts wide of the target.

34' - A flick toward the back post where Salah is lurking, and Zhirkov does just enough to ensure the Liverpool man doesn't get onto the ball!

32' - Egypt  now beginning to use their width play quite well, with their fullbacks overlapping in attack.

30' - Up to the half-hour mark, still goalless between Russia and Egypt in Saint Petersburg.

28' - Hegazy with a good headed clearance as Golovin looks to whip in a cross from the left.

26' - Mohsen looks to get on the end of a deflected cross but Kutepov does well, before a Russia counter attack ends with El-Shenawy making a good catch under pressure.

23' - Up to the midway point of the first half, Gazinsky's cross is just too high for Dzyuba to get onto.

21' - Play moving end to end with real cut and thrust here. It just needs a goal to really set it alight...

19' - A Russian free kick is only half cleared by Egypt and Cheryshev has a crack from long range... just over the crossbar. The Egypt 'keeper looked to have it covered.

16' - Trezeguet cuts inside from the left and looks to curl a shot inside the far post... just wide! The Pharaohs' best chance so far!

15' - Egypt with a couple of quick corners in succession and suddenly it's Russia who look a little shaky at the back. There's goals waiting to happen in this game...

13' - Salah almost sneaks in between two defenders, but Kutepov does just enough to take possession off the attacker on the edge of the box.

11' - Dzyuba almost gets on the end of a cross from the right, but the ball falls kindly for El-Shenawy to collect.

10' - Egypt guilty of giving possession away repeatedly in the early stages.

7' - Egypt suddenly look very shaky at the back and the Russians sniff a chance for an early lead...

6' - Russia's first corner is played short before crossed into the middle for Ignashevich to head into the hands of El-Shenawy. Now there's a chance for Golovin after stealing the ball in midfield, but he pulls his shot wide of the mark.

4' - Some good early possession for Egypt, who are looking to get an early foothold in the game.

2' - An early half chance for Russia, but the quick ball into the penalty area is behind Dzyuba.

1' - Kick-off - We are underway in Saint Petersburg! Russia wear red and white, while Egypt don a change strip of white and black.

19h55 - The teams have come out of the tunnel and are lining up for the national anthems. The referee for this evening's match is Paraguayan official Enrique Caceres.

19h40 - As expected, Alan Dzagoev misses out for the hosts following the injury he sustained early on in the opener against Saudi Arabia. However, his replacement in that game, Denis Cheryshev, scored two goals and has cracked the nod for the starting XI tonight.

19h30 - Half an hour to kick-off and the big news is the inclusion of Mohamed Salah in Egypt's starting line-up. The Pharaohs need a positive result in this clash to revive their last 16 hopes after losing to Uruguay last weekend, and the presence of their talisman is a major boost.