Defensive errors and missed chances: how the Russian national team was defeated in Belgrade

Opponent's squad problems

On the day of the match, disturbing news came from the Serbian national team camp.

One of the team leaders Sergei Milinkovic-Savic, as well as Darko Lazovic and goalkeeper Djordje Nikolic passed positive tests for COVID-19.

They were promptly isolated from the rest of the players.

The question of canceling the meeting, according to the press attaché of the Serbian national team, was not raised.

The incident changed the predictions of the bookmakers.

Towards evening, the quotes changed, demonstrating the advantage of the Russian national team.

Although Stanislav Cherchesov also had problems with the composition.

In view of the loss due to disqualifications of two main defenders at once, Andrei Semyonov and Fedor Kudryashov, the mentor had to choose a scheme with four defensive players.

Igor Diveev joined the team with the team captain Georgy Dzhikia in the center.

Due to the busting of yellow cards, another base player, Roman Zobnin, missed the match.

And the author of the first goal against Turkey Denis Cheryshev remained in reserve.

As a result, brothers Alexei and Anton Miranchuk finally got the opportunity to simultaneously enter the field in national team shirts from the first minutes.

Alexander Erokhin also got a place in the start.

And at the forefront of the attack, Cherchesov again preferred Anton Zabolotny to Alexander Sobolev.

The match at the Raiko Mitic stadium became the 100th for Yuri Zhirkov in the form of the national team.

The 37-year-old player made his debut for the national team under Georgy Yartsev almost 16 years ago.

As for the charges of Lyubisha Tumbakovic, they just recently suffered an offensive defeat.

Having leveled the score in the 90th minute of the Euro 2020 qualifying playoff final with the Scots, the Serbs lost on penalties.

The decisive 11-meter was missed by one of the most experienced Serbian footballers, Aleksandar Mitrovic, who took his partners to the match with Russia with the captain's armband.

Then the Serbs achieved a draw with Hungary in Budapest already within the League of Nations.

This result allowed the Russians to decide their own fate in the final round of the competition.

Victory with any score guaranteed them the first place in the group and the transition to League A. Moreover, the chances for the final success also left a draw - in the event that a similar outcome was recorded in a parallel meeting between Hungary and Turkey.

Failure in the first half

The reality has surpassed all expectations.

The first half was definitely the worst for the Russian national team for the entire period of Cherchesov's work with her.

By the break, the guests were losing 0-4.

At the same time, they had no reason to present claims to the British referee Anthony Taylor, whom UEFA unexpectedly appointed to the game instead of the Pole Daniel Stefanski a few days before the match.

The Russians missed all the goals from the game, making serious mistakes in defense.

Diveev could not cope, and Dzhikia was surprisingly sluggish compared to himself.

Without much effort, the Serbs did almost everything they wanted near Guilherme's domain.

What was happening on the field did not indicate at all that the leader and the outsider of the group met in Belgrade.

On the contrary, the hosts looked more skilled and, most importantly, showed a good attitude, which Cherchesov's charges were not at all observed.

The balls flew into Guilherme's goal mockingly easily.

At the same time, Russia also had its moments.

So, Zabolotny missed three or four correct chances in the first half.

The moment in the very opening of the meeting turned out to be especially dangerous, when the Sochi striker almost from the goalkeeper's line shot into the goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic.

For extravagance Zabolotny was punished by Nemanja Radonich, who was helped by a ricochet.

In the case of their second goal, the Serbs played a combination like in training.

The ball without resistance from the Russians passed from player to player, until a canopy followed in the goalkeeper's area.

There Luka Jovic beat without hindrance and without a chance for Guilherme.

A little later, after his shot from an average distance, the Russian goalkeeper unsuccessfully hit the ball right on the leg of Dusan Vlahovic.

Jovic followed up with a double.

Along the way, the Serbs suffered new losses.

So, the author of the goal Radonich was injured and left the field, and Nemanja Maksimovich was later injured.

It is pertinent to recall that the last time the Russians conceded four goals and suffered a crushing defeat exactly one year ago, on November 16, 2019, in a home game with Belgium (1: 4).

Chaos from Cherchesov

During the break, the Russian mentor made four changes at once.

Both Miranchuk went to rest.

Soslan Dzhanaev came out instead of Guilherme, although goalkeepers are usually changed only in case of injury.

The rest of the quotas were given to young footballers: Ivan Obljakov, Andrey Mostovy and Roman Evgeniev, who made his debut for the national team.

Without the Miranchuks, the Russians did not have creative football at all.

There was hopelessness in their actions.

The guests moved to someone else's half without much desire, rather by inertia.

Dzhanaev did not remain “dry” either: in the 64th minute, Philip Mladenovich brought the score to a completely indecent one for the Russians.

Cherchesov reacted with a fifth substitution, releasing Cheryshev instead of Zabolotny.

Russia was left without full-time forwards: Alexander Sobolev remained on the bench.

The chaos that reigned on the pitch at these moments is better than anything else shown by Cheryshev's remark, thrown to Erokhin before giving a corner: "You are now a striker."

Interestingly, Russia struck more blows than its opponent: 20 (7 on target) versus 12 (8) - for the Serbs.

It is curious that a year and a half ago, Serbia itself lost 0: 5 to Ukraine in the selection for the European Championship.

In a parallel meeting, Hungary beat Turkey (2: 0) and, gaining 11 points, instead of Russia stepped into Division A. Russia dropped to second position.

Serbia finished third, and Turkey flew to League C.