Today, Russia hosts the Czech Republic in Rostov in a game they are actually expected to win.
Russia vs. Czech Republic Bet365 Odds
Russia vs. Czech Republic Preview
It’s been a long time since Russia was on the football map. After victory in a hostile environment in an atmosphere that made your skin crawl in Turkey, it’s safe to say Sbornaya is back. Stanislav Cherchesov’s team was back to its old habits, with World Cup heroes Denis Cheryshev and Artem Dzyuba scoring in Russia’s 2-1 win in their League B Group 2 Nations League opener.
Meanwhile, the Czech Republic took the lead versus Ukraine, only to let it evaporate in the dying minutes of the contest. Manchester City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko scored in the 93rd minute to give his nation a 2-1 away victory. Karel Jarolim leads a young Czech team which is in full rebuild mode now that Petr Cech is gone. They still carry hopes of Euro 2020 qualification, although those hopes are not backed up by quality.
On Monday, Russia will try to end a seven-game friendlies winless streak. Their last victory came nearly a year ago (4-2 vs. South Korea). The match in Rostov is set to start at 18:00 CET.
Russia vs. Czech Republic Bet365 Odds
Russia 1.85 (6/7)
Draw 3.4 (12/5)
The Czech Republic 4.33 (10/3)
Since this is a friendly, Cherchesov might opt to experiment a bit. Nevertheless, the crowd will turn out in large numbers in Russia’s first home game since the World Cup and they’ll expect to be rewarded with a victory. All signs point to a home team win. Take advantage.
Russia vs. Czech Republic H2H
Russa and the Czech Republic have met three times. Their Euro 1996 encounter ended in a 3-3 draw, their Euro 2012 meeting ended in 4-1 Russia victory and their last friendly fixture in 2016 finished in a 2-1 road win for the Czechs.
In general, Russia has conceded in 10 straight home friendlies and 13 of the last 14 matches. At the same time, the visitors have scored in seven of their last eight away friendlies, so we have every reason to believe this will be a high-scoring contest.