FIFA World Cup 2018: Statistical Analysis Of Russia

The FIFA World Cup 2018 is going to be hosted in Russia. The hosts are gearing up and the nation expects that they give a good show.

World Cup History:

The European nation is making its tenth appearance and a second consecutive one.

In their glory years, Russia managed to get a fourth-placed in 1960 but has been getting eliminated early whenever they did qualify.

They have a young star in Aleksandr Golovin and world-renowned goalkeeper in Igor Akinfeev.

Russia is clubbed in Group A with Egypt, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia.

Full Squad:

Goalkeepers: Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow), Vladimir Gabulov (Club Brugge), Andrey Lunev (Zenit St Petersburg).

Defenders: Vladimir Granat, Fedor Kudryashov (both Rubin Kazan), Ilya Kutepov (Spartak Moscow), Andrey Semenov (Akhmat Grozny), Sergei Ignashevich, Mario Fernandes (both CSKA Moscow), Igor Smolnikov (Zenit St Petersburg).

Midfielders: Yuri Gazinskiy (Krasnodar), Alexsandr Golovin, Alan Dzagoev (both CSKA Moscow), Aleksandr Erokhin, Yuri Zhirkov, Daler Kuzyaev (all Zenit St Petersburg), Roman Zobnin, Alexsandr Samedov (both Spartak Moscow), Anton Miranchuk (Lokomotiv Moscow), Denis Cheryshev (Villarreal).

Forwards: Artem Dzyuba (Arsenal Tula), Aleksey Miranchuk (Lokomotiv Moscow), Fedor Smolov (Krasnodar).

Probable Playing XI:

Akinfeev (C), Fernandes,  Ignashevich, Granat, Kudryashov, Dzagoev, Zobnin, Samedov, Golovin, Zhirkov, Smolov

Key Players:

Igor Akinfeev, Aleksandr Golovin, Alan Dzagoev

Interesting Tidbit:

When Russia was formerly known as USSR, they were once No.1 ranked in the world in the 1960 and also won the EURO Cup the same year.

Probability of winning the World Cup:

Bet 365: 40/1

Skybet: 50/1

Betfair: 40/1