Russia takes on Portugal in pivotal Confederations Cup clash

By Sports Illustrated and SI.com Staff/Sports Illustrated via Planet Futbol
Published

Russia is coming off a Confederations Cup-opening win over New Zealand, but the degree of difficulty is raised significantly in its second match–against Cristiano Ronaldo and European champion Portugal.

Russia's 2-0 win has the host nation in first place in Group A, with Portugal settling for a 2-2 draw against Mexico after conceding a goal in stoppage time. Ronaldo, who remains in the spotlight amid reports of his desire to leave Real Madrid, did not score in the opener, but he did notch an assist and will look to get back on the board to add to his all-time record tally for his nation. He scored twice against Russia in a 7-1 thrashing in 2004. 

The last time the two sides met, in a 2015 friendly, Russia snatched a 1-0 win with an 89th-minute goal and will be hoping for another result to punch its ticket to the knockout stage.

Here are the lineups for Wednesday's clash:

Stay tuned here for updates and highlights of goals and key plays throughout the match.