Iran’s 21 shots: Russia narrowly escaped in Tehran Iran and Russia shot each other on penalty shootouts and drew 23.03.2023, 22:21

Iran – Russia – 1:1

Russia National Football Team held the first match of the new year. In 2022, the wards of Valery Karpin entered the field only three times in friendly matches against the teams of Central Asia – Kyrgyzstan (2: 1), Tajikistan (0: 0) and Uzbekistan.

The meeting in Tehran was crucial in a situation where the country’s national team was suspended from participation in international tournaments due to a special military operation in Ukraine, and foreign teams refused even scheduled meetings with it, as Bosnia and Herzegovina is already doing. important.

The Iranian national team is one of the strongest teams in the region, constantly participating in the final stage of the world championships, and although it did not leave the group, it played very well at the World Cup held in Qatar in autumn.

Also, the Iranians took the match seriously against the Russian team, revealing the main team (Serdar Azmun did not play due to injury), and the fans almost completely filled the stands of the national stadium in Tehran and actively supported it. favorites with sheipurs – pipes very reminiscent of South African vuvuzelas in sound.

Valery Karpin also put together a fully fighting squad for the game. True, we must immediately make a reservation that there are no legionnaires at his disposal – both French Monaco and Italian Turin sent documents stating that Alexei Miranchuk and Alexander Golovin were wounded.

Matvey Safonov of Krasnodar (who also expected Alexander Selikhov to oppose Iraq), took the place at the gate, Maxim Osipenko of Rostov and Ruslan Litvinov, who was generally in support, at the center of the defense. area, although experience in the defense center is still important

Vyacheslav Karavaev and Daniil Khlusevich defended and supported the attacks from the flanks, in the center there was a punch from Danil Glebov, Anton Miranchuk and Daler Kuzyaev. Anton Zinkovsky from Spartak and Arsen Zakharyan from Dynamo, respectively, took the role of winger-insider, and Nikolai Komlichenko, the ward of the Rostov head coach, was at the forefront from the very first minutes.

At the same time, such players as Dmitry Barinov, Sergey Pinyaev, Daniil Fomin and Alexander Sobolev, in which it would be logical to see from the first minutes whether the meeting was official, remained in reserve.

The match started quite calmly. The owners had some territorial advantages. At the same time, the difference in approaches was striking: the Iranians loaded long passes from half the field into the penalty area if the guests tried to capture the game by combining the gold already on the outskirts of the penalty area. , where they win the battle, throw and rely on rebounds.

Amir Galenoi’s team has done pretty well with this type of football and has created pressure and won countless standards. Winning the long post with Kuzyaev in one of the corners, the header was dangerous in the 12th minute, but former Rostov player Seyad Ezatollakhi hit close to the post.

In the middle of the first half, Kanaani decided to take a free kick from almost thirty yards and Safonov had to jump to land a ball from the bottom corner.

And in the 27th minute, Zinkovsky’s dribble led to a penalty. The talented Spartakist smashed the ball into the penalty area from the left and, though he didn’t have a chance to create many opportunities, he reached out and defeated Ezatullahi, who knocked the Russian down.

The referee pointed the spot without hesitation and Anton Miranchuk beautifully spread Alireza Beiranvand and the ball to different corners after a magnificent break.

Although the Iranians created several sharp situations from the game and free kicks, the Russian team’s minimal advantage lasted until the timeout.

However, Ruslan Litvinov, who faced an unexpected situation right after the restart of the game, stepped on his opponent’s feet in his own penalty area and Mehdi Taremi approached the point. Striker “Porto” hit from the center, but Safonov did not guess.

After that, the coaches made many substitutions and the home advantage only increased on the pitch. The only thing Russia has created in the remaining time is perhaps a breakthrough and a shot from Zakharyan over the door.

Safonov also had to work hard, helping the team. Iran was very close to victory. What is worth just 21 hits on the Russian target. Still, Karpin’s team survived and drew from Tehran. It’s not the brightest, it makes a double impression, but it’s strategically important.