Russia round off with resounding victory

Nikolai Pisarev was keeping his cards close to his chest after Russia warmed up for the start of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship with a 7-0 friendly win against third-tier Israeli side Maccabi Ironi in Bat Yam.

Sergei Petrov's second-half treble, allied to two goals from Maksim Grigoryev and first-half strikes from Pavel Yakovlev and Denis Cheryshev, sent Russia into their opening match with Spain in high spirits. However, coach Pisarev was eager to stress that it is hard to draw conclusions despite such a resounding victory.

"The aim was to allow the players to feel the full pitch and I'm happy that we did this," Pisarev told UEFA.com. "Even if we hadn't found an opponent, we would have played a training match between the players in the squad."

Pisarev's team eased to victory in Bat Yam against a side who featured in the third tier of Israeli football this season. Real Madrid CF forward Cheryshev was twice foiled before his run into the penalty area led to the opening goal on 23 minutes, poked in from ten metres by Yakovlev. The same dangerous combination then worked effectively to supply the second goal nine minutes later, Cheryshev ending a swift counterattack by rounding the goalkeeper to convert a Yakovlev assist.

Oleg Shatov was one of nine players introduced at half-time and the FC Anji Makhachkala midfielder almost made an immediate impact with a delicate chip that struck the frame of the goal as Russia asserted their superiority. Another newcomer, Petrov, would steal the show instead, registering a "first hat-trick since childhood".

Petrov's first was a smart volley that started a surge of five goals in 29 minutes for Russia. He casually added a second when through on goal, and finished off with a close-range header to convert a Shota Bibilov cross. Grigoryev did his utmost to compete with Petrov's accuracy in front of goal, his double consisting of an angled drive and a searing finish from the edge of the penalty area.

"We are preparing for the tournament so the hat-trick doesn't mean anything and my team-mates congratulated me normally," said FC Krasnodar midfielder Petrov. "We did as our coach had asked."

Pisarev advised not to read anything into the differing lineups in the first and second halves ahead of his team's Group B opener against Spain on Thursday. Only two players in the squad did not feature at all, with goalkeeper Stanislav Kritsuk and defender Georgi Schennikov nursing slight injuries.