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Euro 2012 Qualifying Preview: Andorra - Russia
Dick Advocaat can't afford any errors in Russia's opening fixture....
By Andrew McLean
Russia's first Euro 2012 qualifier under new coach Dick Advocaat will see the Sbornaya take on lowly Andorra. The Andorrans normally play their fixtures in Barcelona but have opted this time around to host the match on home soil.
The Russians will have fond memories of playing Andorra, as last time they travelled here they returned to Russia having qualified to the Euro 2008 tournament, courtesy of a Dmitry Sychev goal and England losing at Wembley.
Advocaat spoke of the importance of their opening games and that Russia should not under estimate their opposition, " The problem of the next two games is clear, we must win. Andorra will not be easy, all opponents are hard to play when they have an organized defence.
"All the players are in good shape and I hope it will be the same on Friday," Advocaat told Championat.
The two teams have met four times in the past and Russia hold a one hundred percent record over the international minnows. The two fixtures in Andorra however have been tight in the past with the Russians winning by a one goal margin twice. I think we can expect a slightly bigger margin this time around with the squad out to impress their new coach.
Andorra
Andorra are still looking to break their 24 game consecutive losing streak and have a fully fit side to do so.
Goalkeepers - Josep Gómes (CD Ciudad de Vícar), Ferran Pol Pérez (FC Andorra), Josep Rivas Prieto (UE Santa Coloma)
Defenders - Jordi Escura (FC Alcarrás), Xavier Gil (FC Santa Coloma), Ildefons Lima (AC Bellinzona), Alexandre Martínez (UE Santa Coloma), Jordi Rubio (UE Santa Coloma), Alex Somoza (FC Andorra), Óscar Sonejee (FC Santa Coloma)
Midfielders - Xavi Andorrà (FC Andorra), Josep Ayala, (FC Andorra), Marc Bernaus (FC Girona), Manuel Jiménez (FC Santa Coloma), Daniel Mejías (FC Andorra), Sergio Moreno (Hellín Deportivo), Marc Pujol (FC Andorra), Marcio Vieira (Atlético de Monzón), Samir Bousenine (FC Andorra), Cristian Martínez (FC Andorra).
Strikers - Sebastiá Gómez (UE Sant Julià), Iván Lorenzo (UD Alcampell), Fernando Silva (Imperio de Mérida CP)
Russia
Dick Advocaat is hopeful to have all his selected squad ready and fighting fit for the game on Friday, despite worries over Zenit St. Petersburg pair Vladimir Bystrov and Aleksandr Anyukov. Igor Denisov has been ruled out with injury and Alan Kazaev therefore could be handed his international debut.
Goalkeepers - Igor Akinfeev (CSKA); Vladimir Gabulov (Dynamo); Vyacheslav Malafeev (Zenit)
Defenders - Alexandr Anyukov (Zenit) Alexey Berezutsky, Vasiliy Berezutsky, Sergey Ignashevich (all - CSKA) Yuriy Zhirkov (Chelsea) Denis Kolodin (Dynamo)
Midfielders - Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (Everton) Vladimir Bystrov, Konstantin Zyryanov, Roman Shirokov (all - Zenit) Alan Dzagoev (CSKA) Igor Semshov (Dynamo) Dmitriy Torbinsky (Lokomotiv) Alan Kasaev (Rubin)
Strikers - Andrey Arshavin (Arsenal) Roman Pavlyuchenko (Tottenham) Pavel Pogrebnyak (Stuttgart) Dmitriy Sychev (Lokomotiv)
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The Russians will have fond memories of playing Andorra, as last time they travelled here they returned to Russia having qualified to the Euro 2008 tournament, courtesy of a Dmitry Sychev goal and England losing at Wembley.
Advocaat spoke of the importance of their opening games and that Russia should not under estimate their opposition, " The problem of the next two games is clear, we must win. Andorra will not be easy, all opponents are hard to play when they have an organized defence.
"All the players are in good shape and I hope it will be the same on Friday," Advocaat told Championat.
The two teams have met four times in the past and Russia hold a one hundred percent record over the international minnows. The two fixtures in Andorra however have been tight in the past with the Russians winning by a one goal margin twice. I think we can expect a slightly bigger margin this time around with the squad out to impress their new coach.
Andorra
Andorra are still looking to break their 24 game consecutive losing streak and have a fully fit side to do so.
Goalkeepers - Josep Gómes (CD Ciudad de Vícar), Ferran Pol Pérez (FC Andorra), Josep Rivas Prieto (UE Santa Coloma)
Defenders - Jordi Escura (FC Alcarrás), Xavier Gil (FC Santa Coloma), Ildefons Lima (AC Bellinzona), Alexandre Martínez (UE Santa Coloma), Jordi Rubio (UE Santa Coloma), Alex Somoza (FC Andorra), Óscar Sonejee (FC Santa Coloma)
Midfielders - Xavi Andorrà (FC Andorra), Josep Ayala, (FC Andorra), Marc Bernaus (FC Girona), Manuel Jiménez (FC Santa Coloma), Daniel Mejías (FC Andorra), Sergio Moreno (Hellín Deportivo), Marc Pujol (FC Andorra), Marcio Vieira (Atlético de Monzón), Samir Bousenine (FC Andorra), Cristian Martínez (FC Andorra).
Strikers - Sebastiá Gómez (UE Sant Julià), Iván Lorenzo (UD Alcampell), Fernando Silva (Imperio de Mérida CP)
Russia
Dick Advocaat is hopeful to have all his selected squad ready and fighting fit for the game on Friday, despite worries over Zenit St. Petersburg pair Vladimir Bystrov and Aleksandr Anyukov. Igor Denisov has been ruled out with injury and Alan Kazaev therefore could be handed his international debut.
Goalkeepers - Igor Akinfeev (CSKA); Vladimir Gabulov (Dynamo); Vyacheslav Malafeev (Zenit)
Defenders - Alexandr Anyukov (Zenit) Alexey Berezutsky, Vasiliy Berezutsky, Sergey Ignashevich (all - CSKA) Yuriy Zhirkov (Chelsea) Denis Kolodin (Dynamo)
Midfielders - Diniyar Bilyaletdinov (Everton) Vladimir Bystrov, Konstantin Zyryanov, Roman Shirokov (all - Zenit) Alan Dzagoev (CSKA) Igor Semshov (Dynamo) Dmitriy Torbinsky (Lokomotiv) Alan Kasaev (Rubin)
Strikers - Andrey Arshavin (Arsenal) Roman Pavlyuchenko (Tottenham) Pavel Pogrebnyak (Stuttgart) Dmitriy Sychev (Lokomotiv)
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Field Report
Reader's Predictions
Top 3 Predictions
-
Andorra 0-3 Russia
- 32.63 %
-
Andorra 0-2 Russia
- 21.05 %
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Andorra 0-0 Russia
- 14.74 %
| European Championship Qualification 2012 (EC) | Oct 11, 2011 | Russia 6 - Andorra 0 |
|
| European Championship Qualification 2012 (EC) | Sep 3, 2010 | Andorra 0 - Russia 2 |
|
| European Championship Qualification 2012 (EC) | Nov 21, 2007 | Andorra 0 - Russia 1 |
|
| European Championship Qualification 2012 (EC) | Jun 2, 2007 | Russia 4 - Andorra 0 |
|
Andorra
  |
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| Oct 11, 2011 | Russia 6 - Andorra 0 | EC |
| Oct 7, 2011 | Andorra 0 - Ireland Republic 2 | EC |
| Sep 6, 2011 | Macedonia FYR 1 - Andorra 0 | EC |
| Sep 2, 2011 | Andorra 0 - Armenia 3 | EC |
| Jun 4, 2011 | Slovakia 1 - Andorra 0 | EC |
Russia
   |
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| Nov 11, 2011 | Greece 1 - Russia 1 | FR |
| Oct 11, 2011 | Russia 6 - Andorra 0 | EC |
| Oct 7, 2011 | Slovakia 0 - Russia 1 | EC |
| Sep 6, 2011 | Russia 0 - Ireland Republic 0 | EC |
| Sep 2, 2011 | Russia 1 - Macedonia FYR 0 | EC |
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