HOST BUSTERS
Pandemonium as Russia soak up pressure for 120 minutes then win spot-kick shoot-out to send toothless Spain home
AS Sir Alex Ferguson famously put it: “Football, bloody hell.”
This was not in the script, Spain’s stars going home at the expense of a Russia side few expected to get out of the group stage, let alone knock out one of the favourites.
But the hosts are there and deservedly so, even if the purists are affronted by their presence in the latter stages of what has become the most open World Cup in recent memory. Spain became the latest high-profile nation to make an early exit from Russia, joining holders Germany, Argentina and Portugal as the draw opened up even more tantalisingly for England.
Igor Akinfeev, who went 11 years without keeping a clean sheet in the Champions League, was Russia’s hero, saving twice in the penalty shoot-out to send the hosts through against all the odds.
Spain’s Koke was the first to miss from the spot, but the ultimate fall guy was Iago Aspas, whose effort was blocked by Akinfeev’s left leg, to send Russia through and Spain home.
Pandemonium ensued in the Luzhniki stadium, with Russia fans delirious and incredulous after watching their national team haul themselves into the quarter-finals by sheer force of will.
For 120 minutes, Russia were forced to sit deep, absorb Spain’s pressure and defend with remorseless discipline and effort
until the arrival of penalties. Their approach may have been ugly, but Spain, despite having 79 per cent possession, ultimately did not do enough with the ball and paid the price in the shoot-out.
For all their dominance, Fernando Hierro’s side produced little in the way of clear-cut chances, proof having the ball is worthless unless you do something with it.
While Spain completed 1,029 passes, Russia managed just 202, but it is the hosts who can look forward to a quarter-final in Sochi on Saturday, while Spain are left only with regret and self-recrimination.
As Jose Mourinho is fond of reminding those who deride his pragmatic approach, there is more than one way to win a match as Russia proved emphatically.
Yet it all began so well for the 2010 World Cup winners, Spain talking the lead in the 12th minute and looking to have built the platform for a comfortable win.
Marco Asensio slung in a fine free-kick and with Sergei Ignashevich interested only in grappling with Sergio Ramos at the far post, the ball came off his right heel and into his own net.
Had it not been an own goal, it would surely have been a penalty, given Ignashevich’s focus was on Ramos and not the ball, as he hauled the Spain captain to the ground.
Thereafter it was a one-sided affair as Spain sprayed the ball around, albeit to little effect, with Russia defending in numbers.
Russia’s only hope was from setpieces and they were duly rewarded in the 41st minute when Gerard Pique inexplicably raised his arm in the area to concede a penalty.
Artem Dzyuba met Aleksandr Samedov’s corner and when the ball struck Pique’s vertical arm, referee Bjorn Kuipers had no hesitation in awarding a spot-kick.
Dzyuba converted to level and with Spain unable to unlock Russia, Andres Iniesta came off the bench to try to find a way through an impenetrable wall of white shirts.
But the hosts held out for another half an hour before the extraordinary finale and arguably the biggest upset of the tournament.