RUSSIA 2 Smolov 11; Bakaev 84 pen. MALTA 0 Russia Guilherme, D. Kuzyaev, I. Diveev, M. Osipenko, V. Karavaev, A. Erokhin (46 R. Zobnin), D. Barinov, A. Miranchuk (57 I. Samoshnikov), A. Ionov (78 R. Zhemaletdinov), F. Smolov (70 A. Zabolotny), A. Zakharyan (46 Z. Bakhaev). Malta H. Bonello, S. Borg, A. Agius (88 K. Shaw), Z. Muscat, R. Camenzuli, T. Teuma (85 T. Teuma), S. Pisani (65 T. Caruana), C. Attard (75 S. Dimech), P. Mbong, J. Mbong, L. Montebello (65 A Satariano). Referee Ali Palabiyik (Turkey). Yellow cards A. Miranchuk, Borg, Camenzuli. Russia needed a goal in each half to overcome Malta at the Otkyrtie Arena in Moscow on Tuesday night. The Russians may have taken the three points on the night but no doubt the Maltese players deserve all the plaudits for another eye-catching performance against the 2018 World Cup quarter-finalists. In fact, the Maltese managed to share the exchanges with the Russians for much of the match and it had a defensive mistake from Steve Borg that handed the home side the opener on a plate. Usually, one would expect the Maltese team to lose their plot but not last time as Mangia’s men gradually started to get more into...
