Russia vs. Portugal: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2015 Friendly

Russia scored a late goal to beat Portugal 1-0 in their international friendly on Saturday. It was a well-deserved win after the hosts had dominated the match from start to finish.

Captain Roman Shirokov was the man who broke the deadlock, slotting a shot past Portugal goalkeeper Rui Patricio, who had done a phenomenal job keeping his side level up until that point.

Portugal fielded a starting XI missing a number of key contributors, and it showed. The visitors hardly mustered any chances and nearly stole a draw in Russia, but justice was served late.

The hosts fielded a remarkably strong starting XI featuring Alan Dzagoev and Artem Dzyuba, while Portugal gave a handful of youngsters and fringe players the opportunity to impress, with Goncalo Guedes and Nelson Oliveira starting.

KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/Getty Images

Both goalkeepers were put to work early as Dzagoev lofted an inviting ball into the box that required Patricio to leave his line before Igor Akinfeev did the same at the other end of the pitch.

Portugal looked uncomfortable in possession early, with Russia pressing high and swarming players who tried to play out from the back. Even though the visitors threatened at times with dangerous crosses, Russia were by far the better team and had a number of chances to take an early lead.

Dzyuba barely missed the target from close range before forcing a fine stop from Patricio. Minutes later, the striker powered a header onto the bar.

Portuguese football expert Jan Hagen thought it was clear who the better team was:

Oliveira did his very best to hold on to the ball and work himself into space, but Russia easily won the midfield battle and comfortably isolated Portugal's attackers. Cedric Soares tried his luck after a strong run into the box, but his shot was aimed straight at Akinfeev.

Soares was one of the few Portuguese players to consistently find success, as the likes of William Carvalho and Nani were routinely caught out of position. Hagen thought Portugal's entire left wing looked suspect:

Shirokov came close to giving the hosts the lead with a powerful drive, but Patricio was playing with tons of confidence at that point and got low quickly to make the stop. The match was then paused for a few minutes after the goalkeeper required treatment, something the home fans did not like.

A huge defensive blunder saw Oliviera come face-to-face with Akinfeev, but the Russian stopper didn't lose focus despite the one-sided nature of the match, making an easy save. Guedes also had the chance to open the score, but the youngster couldn't keep his composure and aimed his shot right at Akinfeev.

Portugal started playing better toward the end of the first half but couldn't find an opening, and after 45 minutes, the score was still 0-0.

Football commentator John Bradley was slightly disappointed:

Despite Portugal's strong finish to the first half, Russia started the second half on the front foot. Shirokov failed to take advantage of Patricio's first real mistake of the match, putting his shot wide while the goalkeeper was woefully out of position.

Russia increased the tempo and pushed Portugal back into their own half, but Fernando Santos' men were well-organised and gave up little space. Pavel Mamaev created some space and attempted an ambitious volley, but with several team-mates waiting for a cross, a pass would have been the better option.

Chances were few at this point, as the hosts were unable to break down Portugal's defence, and the visitors seemed almost unwilling to attack. Akinfeev was rarely tested, and apart from rushing out to stop a few through balls, Patricio had little to do, either.

For those watching the match, the introduction of Portguese wonderkid Ruben Neves at least provided something to get excited about, per FCPortoWorld:

"

Ruben Neves getting final instructions before making his Selecao A debut. #Portugal #fpf pic.twitter.com/tylTXMTNeO

— Portista (@FCPortoWorld) November 14, 2015"

Nani finally created some danger with 17 minutes left to play, timing his run toward the back post well before directing a weak header at Akinfeev. Fyodor Smolov then tried to get cheeky, guiding a cross into goal with his outstretched arm, and he was rightly given a yellow card for his blatant attempt at cheating.

Vladislav Ignatiev came close to scoring minutes after coming onto the pitch, but the substitute's shot went wide of the target. Dzyuba also wasted another golden opportunity, flicking a promising cross past the upright.

The match seemed destined to end 0-0, but a late counter-attack by the hosts saw Smolov and Dzyuba combine to isolate Shirokov in front of goal, and the veteran didn't miss. It was a fantastic and deserved goal for the visitors and left Portugal with no time to find a late equaliser.

The visitors won't mind the loss all that much given the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo and other stars. Portugal's attack looked toothless and uninspired, and that will change once Santos can incorporate Joao Moutinho, Ronaldo and others.

Post-Match Reaction

Per Goal's Peter Hanson, manager Santos rued the late goal his team conceded:

"

We ended up penalising ourselves. Conceding a goal after 89 minutes on the counter-attack is not acceptable.

In the second half, we were not so successful, especially in offensive terms. We played fairly well but lacked ability to get ahead.

In the first 10 minutes, we found no way to play.

But then we were able to find balance and create good situations too.

"

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