“If we score first, score points”: experts on the match between the national teams of Russia and Belgium, the role of Bakaev and the invitation of Akinfeev

RT : The national teams of Russia and Belgium have already reached Euro 2020, having completed their main task. Can we now expect that the wards of Stanislav Cherchesov will leave their pragmatic football for a short time, take risks and try to surprise the Belgians with something?

Sergey Silkin, former Dynamo head coach: Of course, the national team will play as an opponent, because he is very strong. This Belgium may say that it will surprise something, will show a vivid game, since it has already hit Euro 2020 ahead of schedule. Belgium is a serious irritant for Russians; players will have very high motivation. I think Cherchesov’s wards will do everything to achieve a result, although it will be very difficult.

Rolan Gusev, ex-player of CSKA and the Russian team: I do not think that the Russian team will move away from their football. She will play in her own style, impose her game on the Belgians. At home, our guys play very hard, so I don’t think that they will somehow retreat from their football.

Dmitry Khokhlov, ex-player of the Russian national team and former Dynamo head coach: The national team shows the result, and this is the most important thing. She brings it, as everyone expects.

Roman Trushechkin, commentator on the Russia-Belgium meeting at Match TV: I think not. Opponent status dictates our team and coach a serious attitude to the matter. From our side there should not be any experiments, because it is simply too early to resort to them. The European Championship in six months, even more, and no one knows what the composition will be by that time, what will happen to the players, who will show themselves in the spring. Experiments may simply not give anything. Yes, even the first reason is enough - we play with the best-rated team in the world.

RT : How is the Russian team building a defense so that the result of the first match in Belgium does not repeat? Continue playing with two centerpieces or strengthen with a third?

Silkin: You can build protection as you like, if only there are no mistakes.

Gusev: Cherchesov will proceed from the state of the players. If everyone is healthy, then he will choose the scheme that will work against the Belgians. It is therefore difficult to predict.

Khokhlov: The coaching staff carefully studies each opponent and, depending on him, selects tactics for the game. So the question is for trainers.

Trushechkin: In the first match with Belgium, nothing bad happened, just a more cool team scored more goals than we could. I do not think that there will be any deviations from the existing scheme and we will come out with three central defenders. It seems to me that the long-found pair of Georgy Dzhikia - Andrei Semenov will play. Looking to the future, the European Championship will also have strong teams, and the defenders need to gain confidence. We must not jump from circuit to circuit. Cherchesov needs the stability of the scheme that he found during this tournament. So there will be a completely ordinary line of defense, unless injuries interfere.

RT : Zelimkhan Bakaev plays excellent in Spartak, moves a lot and subtly passes. Can he appear at the base in the match for the national team?

Silkin: It's hard to say if you don’t know the tactics that the coach will choose. All the players are in full view of Cherchesov, and he will be able to choose everyone who fits into his scheme. Bakaev holds bright matches, attracts attention, but is he up to the national team? A good player in his club can not always establish himself in the national team. You can recall Oleg Veretennikov, who played very well, scored a lot, but failed to prove himself in the team.

Gusev: It seems to me that there are more powerful players in this line than Bakaev. And Sasha Golovin, and the brothers Miranchuk, and Ilzat Akhmetov. Although I do not know what the head coach knows. It is his prerogative to determine the composition as players.

Khokhlov: Bakaev really holds great last games. Perhaps he will get a chance. But there are other players of a rather high level, because this is the team.

Trushechkin: I think that maybe, Denis Cheryshev was even more injured. Bakayev is able to play attacks or midfields on his flank, although in Spartak he is more used as the top ten, as the central attacking midfielder. It seems to me that his form and Cheryshev's injury provide some food for thought to the coaching staff, and we can wait for Zelimkhan in the squad.

RT : Vyacheslav Karavaev is also progressing on the right flank of the defense. Should he be given a chance, or is Mario Fernandez a solid place in the starting lineup?

Silkin: In general, I would like the young guys to impose competition, because the future lies with them. But the remaining matches will not be friendly, and in the first of them we meet with the team that is at the top of the FIFA rating. Everyone wants to prove themselves against such a team. The coach will choose whom to put, but together they will not be able to in one position. In order to prove himself, Karavaev still needs to not just spend a few matches at the club. Fernandez has long found himself in both CSKA and the national team.

Gusev: The national team needs first place in the group, and Cherchesov will not experiment in such games. In order to give someone a try to play, there are friendly games. And here the stakes are high. Depending on the result, we may find ourselves in a strong basket during the draw, or we may in a weaker one. Plus a full stadium will come, for the guys the game itself is very important. They want to show that they can play no weaker than the Belgians. Therefore, there is no time for experiments.

Khokhlov: Karavaev blended well with the game of Zenit, but Fernandez played in the national team longer. In this position, his game does not raise questions.

Trushechkin: It does not seem to me that now Karavaev is winning the competition even against Igor Smolnikov in Zenit, and in order to beat her against Fernandez in the national team, you still need to grow and grow. There is no competition so far, unfortunately, because I would like to see stronger players in all positions. Karavaev is a high-quality promising option that can play on the other flank, and it seems to me that he was invited to the national team precisely for his universalism. And now, Fernandez is the main right-back who needs to play.

RT : How will the match end?

Silkin: Everything will depend on how the game develops. If ours are scored first, then it’s possible that we will score points. How much - I can’t say. And if the opponent opens an account, it will be difficult to recoup. We have to open up, and Belgium has very good players to take advantage of this.

Gusev: The main thing is that the team win. I sincerely want to wish her good luck. She really shows the football that deserves the first place in the group.

Khokhlov: I will definitely not give forecasts. The only thing I will say is that when the team plays, you always want a positive result so that it delights the fans, and this is exactly what is happening.

Trushechkin: After all, even before the game in Brussels, we could not predict that the national team would open an account. And when we score, then any options are already possible. Now, before the game starts, it's hard for me to guess. I will admit that the Belgian national team will not play through their sleeves, but they will not give all the best. The opponent has solved his task, and it is precisely on his part that experiments are possible, practice will be given to players who previously played less. Then we will have more chances. Or maybe not, because these people also want to show themselves brightly. In any case, I always expect bright football from all matches and I think that goals will be scored on both sides, and I can not predict the outcome of the game.

RT : Should Igor Akinfeev return to the national team for Euro 2020?

Silkin: There are no goalkeepers without errors. Everyone must miss their balls. Recently (in a match with Juventus - RT.) Missed Marinato Guillerme, so he earned this error by how many times he has already helped out. And Igor has already made his decision. If the trainers deem it necessary, they will talk with him, but this question seems to me unprincipled.

Gusev: I think it's worth it. Just because there is no better goalkeeper in the country. No matter how we want, but Akinfeev is now number one. We can talk about Guillerm, about Andrei Lunev, but we all see how many years Akinfeev has been playing at this level. And the defenders feel it in a special way. No offense will be told to Guillerma, but he is far from Igor.

Khokhlov: There is talk about this, but sometimes it’s just rumors and gossip. This question should be solved only by two people - Akinfeev and Cherchesov.

Trushechkin: Yes, he should return if there are no injuries. I think this is the main obstacle. It is difficult to break into two fronts, and the player is not quite young. But if Cherchesov managed to persuade him, then I would be glad to return Igor to the squad. All the greatest events in the history of the Russian national team happened when Akinfeev was at the gate. It seems to me that it will be useful for him to participate this time, if he is ready.