Full house expected in Luzniki as Russia take on Azerbaijan
Published: 26 March, 2009, 12:54
Russian football supporters in front of Moscow's Luzhniki (AFP Photo / Kivrin-Golovanov)
(7.5Mb) embed videoThe next seven days could go a long way to helping Russia's cause of making the next football World Cup in South Africa, and after a five-month break, the Moscow public is eager to see their heroes in action.
Guus Hiddink’s men play Azerbaijan and Lichtenstein on Saturday and Wednesday respectively. Both are hardly footballing powerhouses and the Russian side will be expected to win, and win handsomely.
Russia's group is already proving to be tight, and could eventually come down to goal difference to decide the eventual qualifiers.
The match against Azerbaijan will be played at the Luzhniki Stadium, which has an artificial pitch.
Cross-town rivals Spartak Moscow and CSKA play their home matches there, while the rest of the Russian squad are more than used to playing on this ground. So the surface may give the home side an advantage, and Guus Hiddink says it is a good decision to play the match here.
Since Russia's semi-final appearance at Euro 2008, fans have been flocking back to see the national team play. And it looks like Saturday's match will be no exception.
The ground has a capacity of around 70 thousand, while around 55 thousand fans are expected to be at the game.
It’s been a year-and-a-half since Russia last played at the Luzhniki Stadium, and the players have fun memories as they beat England in the crucial six-pointer.
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