Spain vs Russia
2018 World Cup Round of 16
Date: Sunday, 1 July 2018
Kick-Off at 16:00 GMT +2
Venue: Stadion Luzhniki, Moscow.
Spain managed to deal with the calamitous circumstances that engulfed their final preparations to top their group, although they came within a whisker of defeat against Morocco. Russia meanwhile have been buoyed by their home support, and their good start has been positive for the tournament as a whole.
Suspicions were raised by Russia’s performances that saw them top the stats for distance covered, but they were beaten 3-0 by the first quality opponents they faced in Uruguay. The Golden Eagles were hampered by Igor Smolnikov’s first-half red card, while Denis Cheryshev also scored an own goal
Match Facts
*Spain took five points in Group B but finished top on goals scored, drawing 3-3 with Portugal, 2-2 with Morocco and beating Iran 1-0.
* Russia were runners-up in Group A, beginning with a bang by beating Saudi Arabia 5-0 and Egypt 3-1 but losing 3-0 to group winners Uruguay.
* Russia’s top scorer in the tournament is Denis Cheryshev on three strikes, the same number of goals as Spain’s leading marksman Diego Costa
* Russia covered more distance than any other team in the first two rounds of games, running a combined 118km against Saudi Arabia and 115km against Egypt, although they dropped their intensity against Uruguay, when they had a man sent off in the first half and could only cover 98km.
* Russia are playing in the round of 16 at a World Cup for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union’s best finish was reaching the 1966 semi-finals.
* Spain won a first World Cup in 2010, before then they had never got beyond the quarter-finals.
* Spain are unbeaten in 23 games, their last defeat coming when they lost 2-0 to Italy in the round of 16 in Euro 2016.
* The winners face Croatia or Denmark in the quarter-finals.
Spain to win: 1.56
Russia to win: 7.2
Spain and Russia to draw in 90 minutes: 4.6
