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Edinson Cavani celebrates with teammate Diego Godin after scoring Uruguay's third against Russia

Uruguay 3-0 Russia: Reality check for hosts as Uruguay top Group A

Football

Mon June 25, 2018 · 6y ago

Luis Suarez led the way as Uruguay made sure of top spot in Group A by ending 10-man Russia's perfect start to their own World Cup in humbling fashion.

Suarez fired the South Americans in front with a sweetly-struck free-kick just 10 minutes in at the Samara Arena before Denis Cheryshev deflected Diego Laxalt's effort past goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev 13 minutes later to double the advantage.

Russia's hopes of launching a fightback were effectively dashed before half-time when full-back Igor Smolnikov was sent off for a second bookable offence and, although they were much improved after the restart, Edinson Cavani struck again at the death as Uruguay coasted to a 3-0 win to complete a maximum haul of nine points without conceding a single goal.

They will face the runners-up in Group B in the last 16.

Uruguay got off to a positive start when Matias Vecino whistled a long-range effort just wide of Akinfeev's right post with less than two minutes gone as the South Americans served warning of their intent.

But the Russia keeper was beaten with 10 minutes gone after midfielder Rodrigo Betancur was tripped on the edge of the penalty area after Suarez had broken free down the left and crossed.

The Barcelona striker stepped up to smash the resulting free-kick low to Akinfeev's left and into the bottom corner after Russian defender Sergei Ignashevich inexplicably moved out of the way to clear the path to goal.

Defeat was a reality check for Russia - who had started the tournament in fantastic form

Russia might have been level within two minutes, but three-goal midfielder Cheryshev directed his volley from Artem Dzyuba's header straight at Fernando Muslera, winning his 100th senior cap in the Uruguayan goal.

However, the hosts' plight took a further turn for the worse with 23 minutes played when, after Lucas Torreira's corner had been only half-cleared, Laxalt's fierce driver took a wicked deflection off Cheryshev and flew past the keeper to make it 2-0.

Akinfeev kept his side's fading hopes alive by denying Betancur a goal on his 21st birthday five minutes later, although they were dealt a further blow nine minutes before the break when Smolnikov, who had earlier been booked for a foul on Cavani, felled Laxalt and received a second yellow card.

Having replaced Cheryshev with Mario Fernandes in the immediate aftermath of Smolnikov's premature departure, Russia boss Stanislav Cherchesov sent on midfielder Daler Kuziaev for Yuri Gazinsky at the break and saw his team rally.

With striker Fedor Smolov added to the mix as a replacement for Alexei Miranchuk, Russia battled for a way back into the game in sweltering heat, but as Uruguay skipper Diego Godin marshalled his defensive troops, chances were few and far between.

Godin was denied a goal to cap a fine individual performance when Akinfeev somehow kept out his 90th-minute bullet header, but Cavani was on hand to stab home the rebound and seal the win.

It was all smiles for Luis Suarez after victory over Russia

Goal Videos

Luis Suarez - Uruguay 1-0 Russia

GOAL! Luis Suarez puts @Uruguay ahead with a powerful low free-kick into the bottom right-hand corner! pic.twitter.com/MaB1qROEOc
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 25, 2018

Denis Cheryshev OG - Uruguay 2-0 Russia

GOAL! Own goal! Denis Cheryshev diverts the ball into his own net as @Uruguay double their lead! pic.twitter.com/YdT6VS1mxV
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 25, 2018

Edinson Cavani - Uruguay 3-0 Russia

GOAL! Edinson Cavani gets to the ball first to seal a win for @Uruguay! pic.twitter.com/JX1jRcgSTw
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 25, 2018

Opta facts

Uruguay have finished as first round group winners for just the fifth time, having done so previously in 1930, 1950, 1954 and most recently in 2010.
Russia are the first European side to fail to top their group as the host nation since Spain in 1982.
Uruguay are the first side to win all three of their group games without conceding a single goal sine Argentina in 1998 (seven goals scored, none conceded).
Uruguay have won three consecutive World Cup matches against European opposition for the first time since a run of four straight victories between 1950 and 1954.
Russia are now winless in each of their six World Cup matches in which they have conceded the first goal (D1 L5).
Russia’s Denis Cheryshev’s scored the sixth own goal at this year’s tournament, the joint-most number of own goals at a single World Cup (also six in 1998).
Russian defender Igor Smolnikov is the first outfield player to be sent off for the host nation of a World Cup since Marcel Desailly for France against Brazil in the 1998 final.
Uruguay striker Luis Suarez is now his country’s second outright top goalscorer at the World Cup with seven goals, only Oscar Miguez (8) has netted more.
Edinson Cavani became just the second player to score a goal in three separate World Cup tournaments for Uruguay (2010, 2014 and 2018) after his strike partner Luis Suarez.
Fernando Muslera, celebrating his 100th cap in this game, became Uruguay's all-time leading appearance maker at the World Cup (14) overtaking Ladislao Mazurkiewicz.