Russia vs Peru: A Missed Opportunity for Victory

In November, the Russian national team is playing friendly matches against two South American teams from the lower ranks of the World Cup qualifiers. A draw was recorded with Peru (1:1), and now the team is set to face Chile.

The team was on the verge of victory against Peru, but a lack of focus until the end of the game proved costly, as the belief that victory was already secured turned out to be a mistake. A goal scored by Alex Valera after the 80th minute left Valery Karpin's side without a win in the match played on home soil.

Here are the details of how the anticipated victory turned into a disappointing draw. Match summary: Russia 1:1 Peru (1:0) Goals: 18’ Aleksandr Golovin – 82’ Alex Valera Russia lineup: Safonov, Vakhania (46’ Beveev), Melokhin, Osipenko, Gorshkov (65’ Tyukavin), Prutsev, Umyarov (65’ Chernikov), Batrakov, Miranchuk, Golovin (77’ Sadulayev), Sergeev (65’ Krugovoy).

Substitutes: Borisqo, Gudiev, Glushenkov, Diveev, Lukin, Kislyak, Oblakov, Glebov, Litvinov, Fomin. Peru lineup: Gallese, Lopez (75’ Carbajal), Garces, Araujo, Lazo, Tavara (46’ Cabera), Concha, Inga (60’ Valera), Noriega (74’ Pretel), Castro (60’ Quevedo), Ugarriza (60’ Reyna).

Substitutes: Cabello, Gruber, Vidales, Quispe, Reyna, Romero, Abram, Enríquez, Castillo. **DANIL PRUTSEV – 4.0** In the first half, midfielder Umyarov was among the worst-performing players. Nail's passes were often inaccurate, he quickly received a yellow card, and he lost many battles. Umyarov began to improve his performance in the second half, but Karpin decided to substitute him. Prutsev, despite losing several duels, appeared better in advancing the ball forward. However, fatigue might have been noticeable near the end of the game, as he remained almost motionless in the situation that led to Alex Valera's goal. **IVAN SERGEEV – 3.0** Golovin and Miranchuk also made mistakes, but they at least attempted to compensate by winning back possession and intercepting the opponent’s passes. Sergeev, on the other hand, did not actively participate in combinations nor provide effective passes to his teammates. Even in situations near the opponent’s goal, he failed to deliver effective action. **MATVEY SAFONOV – 3.0** Safonov undoubtedly should have saved the shot by Valera. The ball was struck from outside the penalty area and wasn’t even directed toward the corner. Safonov attempted to stop the ball, but it ultimately ended up in the net. Additionally, during stoppage time, he made an error when attempting to handle a ball from a corner kick. It’s evident that sitting on the bench at PSG is affecting his confidence, and this issue needs to be addressed. Read “Zamin” on Telegram!