Russia take winning streak into finals

Russia take winning streak into finals





Russia 4-1 Lithuania
Russia recovered from an early setback to end their UEFA EURO 2008™ preparations on a high in the German town of Burghausen. Mantas Savenas put Lithuania ahead midway through the first half but Russia's response was rapid with Konstantin Zyrianov levelling on 33 minutes before Andrei Arshavin and Roman Pavlyuchenko struck to put Guus Hiddink's side 3-1 up by the 64th minute. Vladimir Bystrov added a fourth with ten minutes remaining.

Changes
Having named a settled side for the previous friendly victories against Kazakhstan and Serbia, Hiddink opted to give a final work-out to several other squad members ahead of the Group D opener against Spain in Innsbruck on Tuesday. Vyacheslav Malafeev started in goal, while the PFC CSKA Moskva trio of Vasili Berezutski, Sergei Ignashevich and Aleksei Berezutski were part of a four-man defensive unit. Dmitri Torbinski was given a chance to impress in midfield, with Arshavin – suspended for the first two group matches due to suspension – deployed on the left and Roman Adamov the lone striker in a 4-5-1 formation.

Lithuania lead
Lithuania started in positive fashion, yet it was Zyrianov who had the first real chance of the game for Russia, shooting wide after eight minutes. Six minutes later Aleksei Berezutski presented Hiddink with a potential headache when he limped off, to be replaced by Renat Yanbaev. Soon after Russia were behind. After Tomas Danilevicius had put an effort wide, Algimantas Liubinskas's side opened the scoring in the 24th minute when Savenas, one-on-one with Malafeev, scored from the rebound after his initial effort had struck the post.

Half-time replacements
Zyrianov quickly restored parity when his fine solo effort ended with a shot into the top corner but Russia nearly conceded again before half-time, Robertas Poškus failing to hit the target from ten metres after a mistake from Ignashevich. Hiddink introduced Roman Shirokov, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, Igor Semshov and Pavlyuchenko for the second half, and it was Pavlyuchenko who set up the second when his shot was parried by Žydrunas Karčemarskas in the 52nd minute and Arshavin tucked away the loose ball.

Penalty miss
Bilyaletdinov missed a penalty on the hour mark after Ignashevich was fouled in the box, but his miss was not to prove costly. Within four minutes, Bystrov, another substitute, found FC Spartak Moskva team-mate Pavlyuchenko on the edge of the area and he hit a spectacular volley into the roof of the net. Both teams threatened further goals - Arshavin striking the post at one end, Danilevicius's strike bouncing off the crossbar at the other - before Bystrov completed the scoring in the 80th minute with a powerful drive from a tight angle which went in via the far post.

Russia: Malafeev, V Berezutski, Ignashevich, A Berezutski (Yanbaev 14), Kolodin (Shirokov 46), Torbinskiy, Semak (Semshov 46), Zyrianov (Bilyaletdinov 46), Adamov (Pavlyuchenko 46), Arshavin, Sychev (Bystrov 55).

Lithuania: Karčemarskas, Šemberas (Labukas 47), Dedura, Skerla, Zvirgdzauskas, Savenas (Kalonas 61), Danilevicius, Mikoliunas (Šernas 77), Papeckys (Alunderis 83), Česnauskis (Skroblas 69), Poškus (Beniušis 76).