The pressure is on the Russians to deliver in the next few weeks, both on and off the pitch. While the vast majority of supporters are realistic enough not to expect Stanislav Cherchesov's charges to win the tournament, the 2018 World Cup hosts will be expected to at least make it through to the semi-finals. That will not be easy, though: Russia were arguably the biggest disappointment at the European Championship last summer, and Group A opponents Portugal and Mexico possess more talented squads. A comfortable victory over New Zealand would help to settle the public's nerves, but Russia may have to bide their time against a team who will look to make life difficult for them.
The All Whites qualified for the Confederations Cup by winning the 2016 OFC Nations Cup, in which they triumphed over Papua New Guinea in the final. Anthony Hudson's men are massive underdogs heading into the competition, with various bookmakers offering extremely long odds on them getting their hands on the trophy. The objective for New Zealand, then, will probably be to avoid defeat in at least one of their three group stage matches; their best chance of doing so may be on Saturday, particularly if Russia are adversely affected by anxiety in front of their own supporters.
Russia will be compelled to take the initiative this weekend, and it will be interesting to see how they respond to that responsibility. Alan Dzagoev and Artem Dzyuba will be big losses through injury – the former provides creation and the latter a penalty-box presence, attributes that would have been important against New Zealand – with Fyodor Smolov now set to lead the line. Russia will need to be patient if they are unable to make an early breakthrough in Saint Petersburg; the worst thing they could is panic too early.
New Zealand could line up in a cautious 5-3-1-1 formation, with an emphasis on ceding control of the ball and defending close to their own penalty area. Marco Rojas will look to link midfield and attack in a No.10 role, but lone frontman Chris Wood will probably be an isolated figure for much of the match. At the other end of the field, centre-backs Tommy Smith, Andrew Durante and Michael Boxall will seek to deny Russia time and space in the final third, while goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic is likely to be very busy indeed.
Taking everything into account, it could be worth a small wager on New Zealand holding Russia to a draw in Saint Petersburg. The odds available on such an outcome are rather generous, and it would not be a huge surprise to see the home side dominate possession but fail to break down stubborn opponents. If you are feeling particularly brave, consider backing a goalless stalemate in the correct scoreline market.
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