Russia face Confed exit

Moscow: European champions Portugal’s 1-0 win over Russia on Wednesday has set the team on a clear path for the Confederations Cup semifinals but the hosts are facing an early exit.

On Saturday, Russia will face Mexico, who are tied with Portugal at the top of Group A on four points, in Kazan knowing only a win will definitely be enough to carry them into the semifinals.

Portugal’s last match, also on Saturday, is against already eliminated New Zealand in St Petersburg and a point will guarantee their berth in the last four with even a defeat not necessarily fatal. Ronaldo was on target in the eighth minute to silence the 42,759-strong crowd at Moscow’s Spartak Stadium, and was named man-of-the-match after their first game against Mexico.

Portugal failed to get a second on promising efforts from Ronaldo and Andre Silva against mostly harmless Russians who had their best chance in stoppage time from Georgy Dzhikya’s header. Santos made four changes to the team that had to swallow a last-minute 2-2 equaliser against Mexico while Russia’s Stanislav Cherchesov brought on two new faces in defender Roman Shishkin and Ruslan Kambolov after an opening 2-0 over New Zealand. Russia goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev earned his 100th cap but that was spoilt early on when Ronaldo headed in Raphael Guerreiro’s accurate cross at the far right post.

Akinfeev then saved Ronaldo’s free-kick and was also on his guard in the 32nd against the Real Madrid star. Russia were unable to create any danger against a firm Portugal defence, with only a half-chance from forward Fedor Smolov who however aimed some five metres wide right off Alexandr Golovin’s lowcross. Akinfeev kept Russia in the game when he saved spectacularly from Silva’s 50th-minute header after the Porto striker leaped over the defender Dzhikya.

But Russia — with midfielder Alexandr Erokhin on for Shishkin — made a bigger effort in the second half, and Smolov just failed to connect with a cross in a promising position just after the hour.

Borussia Dortmund’s Guerreiro had to limp off injured midway through the second half and was taken to hospital with a suspected ankle fracture, according to Santos.

Cherchesov brought on a second forward in Dmitry Poloz, but the Russian attacks lacked precision and Dzhikya was lucky to escape with a booking after kicking out at Pepe.

Portugal, who occasionally threatened on the counter, had to sweat it out until the end but Dzhikya headed just over the bar in stoppage time as Portugal escaped another late equaliser. — dpa