Russia 2020 UEFA Euro Betting
Making it to the knockout rounds of EURO 2020 would be a success for Russia. This team is not as talented as either Belgium or Denmark, and they are pegged to finish in third place in Group B by the oddsmakers. Although Russia is coming off a strong performance at the 2018 World Cup, beating Spain in the Round of 16 and making it to the quarterfinals before being bounced in penalties by Croatia, this team has undergone a ton of changes since that finish.
Russia Squad Profile
UEFA Euro Odds: +7000
Coach: Stanislav Cherchesov
FIFA Ranking: 39
Best Finish: Champions as Soviet Union (1960); Semifinals as Russia (2008)
Group: B ( Belgium, Finland and Denmark )
How They Got Here
Russia had no trouble qualifying for EURO 2020. The Russians were placed in Group I, and although they lost both their matches to Belgium by a combined score of 7-2, they beat everyone else in the group to finish nine points clear of third place Scotland. Russia had a +25 goal differential as the national team hammered Scotland, Cyprus, Kazakhstan, and San Marino.
Team Preview
This roster looks to be markedly different than the Russia we saw at the 2018 World Cup the country hosted three years ago. That starts in the back as Igor Akinfeev made the decision to retire from international play, leading to questions regarding who will start in net. Dynamo Moscow’s Anton Shunin and Zenit’s Andrey Lunyov are the most likely options, but neither player is as reliable as Akinfeev.
The back line is a real worry too. Yuri Zhirkov has a lot of experience with 102 caps, but he will be two months away from turning 38 by the time this competition gets underway in June. Igor Smolnikov, Mario Fernandes, Andrei Semyonov, and Fyodor Kudryashov all have some experience, but each of those four players is on the wrong side of 30. There are questions about just how good they will be too as almost all of Russia’s defenders play in the Russian Premier League.
There is more promise in the midfield and up front for Russia. Youngster Aleksandr Golovin will be a playmaker for the national team for years to come. He had a breakout performance at the 2018 World Cup, and he is one of the few players on the roster that plays in one of the Big Five domestic leagues. Midfielders Aleksei Miranchuk and Denis Cheryshev might be dangerous, but Miranchuk is somewhat raw and Cheryshev has missed a ton of time due to injury over the last few seasons.
Captain Artem Dzyuba will lead the attack. Dzyuba has 29 goals in 50 games with the national team, and he has been one of Zenit’s best players once again this season. He found the back of the net three times at the last World Cup, and he might feel even more pressure on his shoulders if Cheryshev is unable to play. Fyodor Smolov is the only other true option up top.
Russia Schedule
GROUP STAGE
Saturday June 12
Belgium vs. Russia (Saint Petersburg; 3 p.m. ET, 9 p.m.)
Wednesday June 16
Finland vs. Russia (Saint Petersburg; 9 a.m. ET, 3 p.m.)
Monday June 21
Russia vs. Denmark (Copenhagen; 3 p.m. ET, 9 p.m.)
Russia’s History at the European Championships
This was one of the most feared international teams as the Soviet Union. The USSR National Team drew most of its players from Russia, but they were also able to rely on Ukraine, Belarus, the Caucasus countries, and the Central Asian steppe countries in order to field the most competitive team.
That led to the Soviet Union winning the first ever European Championships in 1960, and they finished runner-up in 1964 and 1972 as well. The USSR failed to qualify for the next three Euros, but they finished runner-up at the 1988 edition before splintering into different countries and federations.
Russia has only made it out of the Group Stage once since the fall of the Soviet Union. That came in 2008 when the Russians were the darlings of the tournament under Guus Hiddink. They overcame a rough 4-1 loss to Spain in their opener to qualify for the knockout rounds after wins over Greece and Sweden in the Group Stage. They knocked off the Netherlands in extra time in the quarterfinals before falling to Spain once again in the semifinals.
This team failed to make it out of the Group Stage in either 2012 or 2016.
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