Minute by Minute: Spain - Russia

Soccerway - 10 June 2008 17:36

Iker Casillas and Spain will look for victory in their opener

INNSBRUCK, Jun 10 (SW) - After three great days of action, Group D gets their first taste of Euro 2008 football on Tuesday, first with Spain taking on Russia at Stadion Tivoli Neu in Innsbruck.

Current score: <b>4-1</b>

More match information: <a href="http://www.soccerway.com/match/european-championships/netherlands/italy/529748/">Here</a>.

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FULL-TIME: A thorough victory by Spain. Precise passing, great pace, and great finishing. Russia lacked the final touch on several occasions, but had no match for the midfield prowess of the Spaniards, and certainly no match for three-goal man David Villa. Great opener for Spain, while Russia have a lot of work to do in Group D.

Minute 90+1: <b>GOAL SPAIN (4-1) CESC FABREGAS</b> completes the victory. A sliding shot by Cazorla is deflected into the path of Fabregas who heads past a diving Akinfeev. Game over, now.

Minute 90: ...and it's cleared, but put back in for Sergei Semak, but he scuffs a shot at Casillas! Could have made it 3-2 right there. Spain's defense beginning to look atrocious.

Minute 90: Well, wait a minute. Russia on the break again and win a corner kick...

Minute 86: <b>GOAL RUSSIA (3-1) ROMAN PAVLYUCHENKO</b> finally gets one to go past Casillas. The inswinging corner by Zyrianov is deflected toward the far post and Pavlyuchenko puts a powerful head on it. Casillas had no chance. Great goal by the Russians, and while it's likely nothing more than consolation on this evening, remember that goal difference can be a major player when the time comes for the knockout phase.

Minute 85: Cross in from the left by Zhirkov is headed out by Carlos Marchena. It's not totally cleared and eventually leads to a Russia corner kick.

Minute 81: Pavlyuchenko has yet another go at it from the edge of the area, but the shot is once again just wide. A lot of off-target shots tonight by the Russians.

Minute 80: Free kick by Torbinski from 30 yards is well over the top as Russia look completely deflated.

Minute 80: Villa couldn't possibly score a fourth, could he? Well, he he gets the ball on his boot in the center of the area, but he is crowded by white shirts of Russia and can't get a shot away.

Minute 77: Last switch for Spain now as David Silva comes off to be replaced by Xabi Alonso.

Minute 75: <b>GOAL SPAIN (3-0) DAVID VILLA</b> completes his wonder hat-trick! Again, precise passing by the Spaniards as substitute Fabregas slots a long ball through for the run of Villa, the striker then shaking his marker and firing past Akinfeev. Superb treble for the Valencia striker.

Minute 73: Villa passes up about three opportunities to shoot on goal, before the ball is left for Silva to shoot well high of the target.

Minute 72: Pavlyuchenko takes a crack at goal from 24 yards, but his turning, left-footed effort is gathered up by Casillas.

Minute 70: Final switch for Russia as substitute Bystrov is replaced by Roman Adamov.

Minute 69: Pavlyuchenko appears to be clear at the top of the Spanish area, but his shot is blocked away by a sliding Carles Puyol.

Minute 68: Great sequence for the Spaniards. Xavi's corner kick is headed right on target by Marcos Senna, but Akinfeev parries it away. The ball only gets as far as Silva, but the shot is stopped.

Minute 67: Spain are really trying to get a third for Villa as Sergio Ramos slides in a cross from the right, but Alexander Anyukov is able to clear at the last second before Villa can touch home.

Minute 65: Villa slots the ball forward for Fabregas in space on the right flank, but it's just a bit ahead of him and Akinfeev charges it down first.

Minute 63: Second switch for Spain: Iniesta off, Santi Cazorla on.

Minute 62: Spain lack nothing for technical expertise and it shows as they almost put together a third goal, but the ball comes loose in the area and Akinfeev clears.

Minute 60: And on the other end, so nearly a first for Russia as Bilyaletdinov fires a skidder off the wet turf, but it glides just wide of the post with a diving Casillas attempting to get there.

Minute 58: So nearly a hat-trick for Villa! He streaked down the left flank and had plenty of space to fire a shot from the edge of the area, but he puts it right in the arms of Akinfeev.

Minute 57: The game has slowed a bit and Russia make a change as Semshov comes off, replaced by Dmitri Torbinski.

Minute 54: Interesting change for Spain as Cesc Fabregas replaces Torres. Luis Aragonés is looking for possession in midfield apparently.

Minute 51: Russia get a couple of successive corners, but the Spanish defense rises to the defense on the first. On the second, the ball comes out and is put back into the area where Bystrov heads right at Casillas.

Minute 46: The second half begins and Russia coach Guus Hiddink makes a switch with Vladimir Bystrov coming on for Dmitri Sychev, who was practically non-existent in the first half.

HALF-TIME: David Villa has scored two goals, both of which were set up beautifully for him to finish. Spain have looked shaky in the back at times, but so have the Russians, the wet pitch likely not helping at all with footing. But, nonetheless, Spain have a big advantage going into the break, although Russia had good spells in the first half. Poor execution and bad touches have let them down.

Minute 45: <b>GOAL SPAIN (2-0) DAVID VILLA</b> caps off a Spanish counterattack with another perfect finish. Capdevila comes down the left and passes for Iniesta. He then slots it through for Villa who was perfectly even with the last defenders and he makes no mistake beating Akinfeev.

Minute 42: Free kick by Pavlyuchenko...but it's right into the wall. He then hits the crossbar, but the whistle had gone for an infraction.

Minute 39: Corner kick lands in the area at the feet of Joan Capdevila, but he can't get a shot off and the ball is eventually cleared.

Minute 35: Russia have been able to have sustained possession and come forward and Spain have looked questionable in the back. Spain have also looked good coming forward, but they may want to shore up the back line or that lead may not last long.

Minute 30: Dangerous-looking break for Spain, but the throughball is ahead of Villa and he runs through Zhirkov and commits the foul.

Minute 28: Andrés Iniesta plays a neat ball into the area for Villa who tries a shot from a sharp angle and it forces Akinfeev to parry it for a corner, which amounts to nothing.

Minute 25: Diniyar Bilyaletdinov shakes away his defender and fires a low shot on target, but Casillas smothers and clears.

Minute 24: Fast action now as Akinfeev is called into action to make a great stop on Torres. The pace has certainly picked up here in the last five minutes.

Minute 23: Russia nearly answer but hit the post! A pass from the left side of the area squeezes its way all the way across to Konstantin Zyrianov, but his shot rattles the post with Casillas beaten.

Minute 20: <b>GOAL SPAIN (1-0) DAVID VILLA</b> completes a great play by Spain. Torres takes down a long ball nicely, heads toward goal and leaves it back for a trailing and wide open Villa who slots past a drawn-out Akinfeev. Torres did well take the ball from the defender and set up Villa beautifully.

Minute 17: Nice buildup by the Russians and they get the ball into the area from the right, but Igor Semshov's shot lacks power and direction. He should have done better.

Minute 15: David Silva takes a crack at Akinfeev's goal from outside the area, but it's right at the Russian goalkeeper.

Minute 11: Giveaway in midfield leads to a break for Russia, but striker Roman Pavlyuchenko's pass to the center of the area is cleared.

Minute 9: David Villa then sneaks in behind the defense to latch onto a cross from the right, but the shot goes high.

Minute 8: Fernando Torres takes Spain's first effort of the match, but never got any power on it and it skids wide of the near post. Igor Akinfeev had it covered in any event.

Minute 4: Iker Casillas is forced into action to punch away a potentially dangerous corner from Yuri Zhirkov.

Minute 1: The match is underway!

Pre-Game: Spain have a reputation for being underacheivers in major tournaments, but they bring a strong squad to Euro 2008 looking for their first major tournament title since they won Euro '64. Russia, meanwhile, also bring a quietly dangerous squad managed by Guus Hiddink who knows how to lead underdogs through tournaments. Should be a great Group D match in Austria today.