Russia v Slovakia Betting: More late drama expected in Lille

After striking late to claim a 1-1 draw against England in their Euro 2016 opener, Russia will be hoping to build on that performance when they take on Slovakia in Lille on Wednesday.

Leonid Slutsky’s men have come out on top in each of the last two meetings between the sides and are 13/10 (2.30) favourites with Paddy Power to put one foot in the knockout stages with another victory here, although a suspended disqualification from the tournament hangs over the side following incidents in Marseille.

In contrast to their opponents, the Slovenski Sokoli fell victim to a late goal in their opening defeat against Wales, but can be backed at 23/10 (3.30) to bounce back by collecting all three points at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

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The draw against England was a second in succession for the Sbornaya, and there are odds of 11/5 (3.20) on them playing out another stalemate in this one.

While Vassili Berezutski’s 90th-minute equaliser came as a painful sucker punch for an English team that had largely dominated proceedings, few Russian fans would have been surprised to see their side involved in late drama against Roy Hodgson's side given their recent results.

The defender’s header ensured a goal has been scored after the 88th minute in his team’s last three consecutive matches, while nine of the previous 10 have provided goalmouth action in the final 20 minutes.

Goal

This recurring trend will certainly represent cause for concern for Jan Kozak’s team, who will still be smarting from Hal Robson-Kanu’s late winner that undid their good work in coming back from behind on their European Championship debut.

What’s more, the Slovakians will barely have forgotten the late Aleksandr Kerzhakov goal that saw them leave St Petersburg empty-handed the last time they came up against this opposition in a friendly match back in 2014.

All things considered, even odds (2.00) certainly look worth the investment on a goal being scored after the 71st minute in this potentially crucial clash.