The 5-0 win over Saudi Arabia lifted the host nation’s spirit. Salah or no Salah, Russia is flying on the wings of that opening game victory and will try to punch its Round of 16 ticket on Tuesday night in Saint Petersburg.
When Cherchesov’s players took the pitch on June 14, most supporters anticipated a win, but few of them saw a blowout coming. After five goals in Saudi Arabia’s net, Russia is now seen as the favorite in the matchup against Egypt. Hector Cuper decided to spare his star in the first Group A match versus Uruguay and his team was on the brink of getting a point without him. Jose Maria Gimenez’s 89th minute goal broke the hearts of the Egyptian fans in Ekaterinburg, including a wounded Mohamed Salah sitting on the bench.
The Ballon d’Or contender will not be spared for a second time. According to Egypt’s team manager:
“Salah participated in training with his team-mates for the entire session and he is ready to play against Russia”
It’s do-or-die for The Land of the Pyramids. Taking into consideration that goals scored is the determining tie-breaker, Egypt must win in order to stay in contention, since it’s highly doubtful they’d be able to upstage Saudi Arabia by the same margin as Russia did. With Salah in the lineup, Egypt stands a fighting chance.
It might appear as if Russia was underestimated, but when comparing Saudi Arabia’s performance against Germany in a friendly prior to the World Cup and its display against Russia, I can say that we saw two different teams. I don’t want to speculate, but so many errors were made by the Saudis that it makes me wonder how realistic that final score was. Egypt will be a true test of their strength. It is a team that has gone through pain and joy together, a team that doesn’t know how to quit. It is also led by an excellent coach who studies his opponents to the smallest detail and will make sure to have his team prepared for whatever tactics Stanislav Cherchesov chooses to employ.
His decision to go with four defenders (two center backs) came as a surprise to some, especially since Cherchesov preferred to play with three center backs ever since he took over the head coaching position. That’s how Russia will probably set up today, knowing that a draw is likely all Sbornaya needs to progress. That means that two-time goalscorer Denis Cheryshev might not have a place in the starting lineup, despite unquestionably being the most skilled player on Russia’s thin roster. Alan Dzagoev, the player Cheryshev replaced, will not be available for at least two weeks after suffering that hamstring injury in the opener.
With Mo Salah back in the thick of things, the arrow is pointing upwards for Egypt. He was sorely missed in the game against Uruguay, as The Pharaohs lacked decisiveness and sharpness up front. Hector Cuper’s gameplan is based on wingers spearheading attacks and that’s where Salah becomes irreplaceable. Of course, he’ll not be at 100% and the Russians know that. They’ll do their best to kill this game and take the focus off “The Egyptian King”. There were multiple tactical holes in Cherchesov’s Russia in Moscow. The coach got lucky. Dzagoev’s replacement Cheryshev is such a noble and classy player that even though the coach didn’t want him in the starting lineup, the Villarreal forward came onto the pitch, did his job and made the difference. If Cuper’s perceived reputation does not deceive and he analyzed Russia’s first game thoroughly, then he will have found the tactical glitches I’m talking about and Egypt will win. If not, then we’ll see a tie.
Prediction
Russia 1-2 Egypt
