Owen Gibson assesses the mood in the stands:
And here’s Jamie Jackson’s match report of Slovakia’s win:
So, Slovakia move to three points with Wales, and Russia now need to beat Wales if they are to reach the last 16. What started as a potential stinker turned into a highly entertaining match. And apart from one flare, there has been no suggestion of any problems in the stadium. Thanks for your company; bye!
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Full time: Russia 1-2 Slovakia
Slovakia win a European Championship match for the first time! They deserved it despite a staggering collapse in the last 10 minutes, and Marek Hamsik’s goal is currently going viral.
90+3 min Skrtel is as Skrtel does, needlessly bundling Dzyuba over 30 yards from goal. Free-kick to Russia. It’s laid off to Ignashevich, whose shot is deflected for a corner. This is the last, last, last, last chance ... and it flashes across the face of goal a split-second before the final whistle is blown!
91 min Kozacik comes a long way to superbly claim a Russian free-kick, and a growling Skrtel almost punches him with joy in celebration.
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90 min There will be three minutes of added time.
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89 min Dzyuba goes on another fine slow-motion run, past three defenders just inside the box, until his shot is blocked desperately by Hubocan, who looked like he was auditioning for Platoon as he threw himself in the way.
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THROW-IN! Russia 1-2 Slovakia (Pekerik 87)
A precious bit of respite for Slovakia, who earn a throw-in in the Russian half.
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86 min Another Russia corner. Kozacik comes for it like a wino chasing a balloon, gets nowhere near and is saved by a towering header from Durica. Without that Russia might well have scored. Moments later, Glushakov whistles a half-volley wide from the edge of the box. That was a chance. Slovakia have completely lost it.
86 min “Are there any possible scenarios whereby England and Russia will have to play off to decide who qualifies in third place?” says Simon McMahon. “UEFA will be desperate for that to happen, what with the extra revenue it will bring in.”
85 min Shatov is carrying on, and seems to be okay. Slovakia are camped in their own third.
84 min Russia have a problem: Shatov is holding his groin, and they’ve used all three substitutes.
83 min The corner is punched away nervously by Kozacik. Goals may be overrated but they don’t half change games.
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82 min Slovakia are suddenly all over the place, and now Russia have a corner.
81 min A flare has gone off in the Russian end apparently.
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GOAL! Russia 1-2 Slovakia (Glushakov 80)
Out of nothing, Russia score a wonderful goal. That was like watching the old USSR team. A slick one-two on the edge of the box, and then a lofted cutback from Shatov for the late-arriving Glushakov to plant an accomplished header into the far corner.
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80 min Slovakia’s final substitution: Robert Mak, who will keep Danny Rose busy next week, is replaced by Michal Duris.
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80 min Mamaev shots from 20 yards, and slices it laughably wide.
79 min “Cheers, Mark Francombe,” says Matt Dony. “Come on, Russia! We can do this! Make Putin proud! (Football does strange things to a man...).”
78 min Russia’s good spell lasted about four minutes, and now Slovakia looked comfortable once again.
77 min “The worst World Cup football match was the 2007 Cricket World Cup final,” says Erik Petersen. “While you might dismiss it on the technicality of ‘not being a football match,’ I would note that it the attritional end of a bloated tournament played in white-elephant stadia, and that it was marred by bafflingly bad work by the officials. Sounds like terrible football to me.”
75 min Russia make their final substitution, with Roman Shirokov replacing Kokorin.
72 min Slovakia takes some heat out of the game with a long spell of passing. Then they make another substitution, with Dusan Svento replacing the goalscorer Vladimir Weiss.
70 min This isn’t the end for Russia. Under Uefa’s new every-loser-wins system, they should still qualify if they win their last game against Wales. I would not, however, wager my last Rolo on them doing so.
69 min “I’m afraid I must confess to rather enjoying the 2010 final,” says Tom Hopkins. “Particularly due to the pantomime villain genius of Marc von Bommel (a role that Pepe is now ably filling).”
Pepe is the Mikey Palmice of football, isn’t he?
68 min Hamsik has a couple of shots blocked on the edge of the area. A goal is coming at one end or another as this game is now as open as the Guardian’s journalism.
67 min A Slovakia change: Duda off, Adam Nemec on.
66 min This is Russia’s best spell of the match. A cross breaks to Smolov, whose ten-yard volley is blocked superbly by the stretching Durica, although the keeper probably had it covered.
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65 min “South Korea 0 - 0 Bolivia, USA 94, Group C,” says Tom Janes. “Within about three minutes the world was pleading for the game to end. Scottish ref Les Mottram, in an air of (possible) Presbyterian rectitude, added about 10 minutes of injury time to heighten our suffering and make us really, really earn our places in heaven.”
64 min A couple of corners for Russia, who seem to have suddenly realised they are in danger of throwing themselves out of the competition. Nothing happens but there is more urgency.
61 min Thanks to Mark Francombe for leafing through the rule book re: head-to-heads and goal difference.
If two or more teams in the same group are equal on points on completion of the final tournament group matches, the following criteria are applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings:
a. higher number of points obtained in the matches played among the teams in question;
b. superior goal difference resulting from the matches played among the teams in question;
c. higher number of goals scored in the matches played among the teams in question;
d. if, after having applied criteria a) to c), teams still have an equal ranking, criteria a) to c) are reapplied exclusively to the matches between the teams in question to determine their final rankings. If this procedure does not lead to a decision, criteria e) to h) apply;
e. superior goal difference in all group matches;
f. higher number of goals scored in all group matches;
g. fair play conduct in the final tournament as defined in Annex C.5.1;
h. position in the UEFA national team coefficient rankings (see Annex B.1.2.b)
60 min If Slovakia really concentrate on the counter-attack, there are more goals to be had. They didn’t then, with Duda running offside from Hamsik’s through ball, which was misplaced anyway.
59 min “Re: third placed qualifiers, what would be the implications for this group if Russia were disqualified and their results expunged as UEFA have said (rather than all awarded as wins for the opposition)?” says David Wall. “Perhaps they haven’t properly thought that through.”
58 min “The worst game of all time was the 1990 World Cup Final,” says Harvey Auzorst. “That’s that. Can’t be disputed.”
At least Argentina brought a bit of roguish charm and comedy to it, though, which couldn’t be said about the profoundly depressing 2010 final.
57 min Shatov leads a four-on-four break, runs to the edge of the D - and then splashes a hopeless shot high and wide.
55 min Wales’ result looked good on Saturday; it looks even better now because Slovakia look a capable side. If England don’t win tomorrow, it’ll be squeaky-bum time before the final game.
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54 min Slovakia are playing with scoreline confidence, moving the ball around with a bit of a swagger. Mak tries to run straight through the brick wall and almost succeeds. Moments later, after a great run from Kucka, he hits a fierce rising shot that is palmed over by Akinfeev.
53 min “As a man who knows infinitely more than me about football, are teams separated by goal difference or head-to-head?” says Matt Dony. “If it’s the latter, then a Russian win would guarantee Wales third place, and a 2/3 chance of going through. It’s probably goal difference, though...”
I think it’s head-to-head first, then Expected Goals.
51 min “That Leeds v Blackburn game, wasn’t that the season when Leeds scored just 28 goals or something ludicrously low?” says Mike Cormack. “Their fans probably thought things couldn’t get much worse.”
Yep, 28 in 38. But if you think that’s bad, look at Como’s results at home in 1984-85. If I had a time machine the first thing I’d do is get me that season ticket.
49 min “On the subject of poor games,” says Rich Malcolm, “sadly I wasn’t there but hats off to Doncaster for this highlights video from a 0-0 with Fleetwood.”
48 min A long spell of passing from Slovakia before Mak goes on a fine curving run that yields a corner. It’s headed over by Duda ahead of the near post. It needed Ron Atkinson’s little eyebrows.
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47 min “Most boring game,” says Matt Robbins. “Ipswich v Grimsby in 1990-something . The highlight: Ian Marshall came off the bench and the bloke behind sparked up something grown-up and told the crowd (about 15 of us) it’ll start raining goals. It didn’t.”
I bet it did for him. He was hearing Mozart and seeing the net bulge when something like this happened.
46 min Durica is booked within 20 seconds of the restart for a scissor tackle on Dzyuba.
46 min Slovakia begin the second half. Russia have made a substitution, with Denis Glushakov and Pavel Mamaev replacing Neustadter and Golovin in midfield.
There’s a clear winner in our half-arsed poll for the worst game ever
Niall Carey “Without doubt it was Ukraine vs Switzerland in the otherwise excellent World Cup in Germany ’06. Switzerland failed to score, or even really trouble the Ukraine keeper, despite the game going to penalties.”
Kari Tulinius “I don’t think there can much controversy in saying that the second round fixture between Switzerland and Ukraine at the 2006 World Cup is the worst game of football past, present, future and infinite number of parallel realities. I was living in he US at the time without a television. My landlady let me watch the games on Univision as long as I kept her murderous tomcat company during the while. For reasons unknown he tolerated me better than other humans. The only time he laid a claw on me was during that game. He sat beside me and sometime during the interminable incident-free extra time he put his paw on my wrist and extended his claws so that they touched my skin. At that moment, after two hours of gray footballing ennui, I silently begged him to just end it all. He withdrew his claws and slinked off the sofa into another room. My suffering continued through the worst penalty shootout I have ever seen. I will never support either of those national teams.”
Half-time reading
Get in the mood for tomorrow’s match by remembering the time Wales walloped England 4-1
Half time: Russia 0-2 Slovakia
So, about that England performance.
What a goal. A left-wing corner was played short to him, just inside the box. He moved past the covering defender - who again went to the wrong fire - and then, from a very tight angle, smashed a glorious curling shot that pinged in off the far post. That was a bit like Maniche in the Euro 2004 semi-final, though he was closer and the angle was tighter. It was, nonetheless, a belter, and celebrated in a majestically arrogant, Zlatanic manner.
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GOAL! Russia 0-2 Slovakia (Hamsik 45)
Marek Hamsik has made it two with a storming goal!
42 min Hamsik runs at the defence and moves past both centre-backs as if they were traffic cones but then wallops a shot well wide from 20 yards. He has been brilliant.
41 min Here’s Steve, detailing a grudge of heroic pettiness. “No contest. Switzerland v Ukraine World Cup 2006. Both teams playing for penalties from the kick off. They should’ve been thrown out of the competition for not trying. None of those involved are likely to be around now but every time I see either of these teams play I want them to get hammered.”
40 min Dzyuba, who has caused Slovakia plenty of problems, is shoved over on the left wing. Shatov will take the free-kick... and it’s rubbish, headed away by the first man behind the wall.
38 min “Arsenal 0 v 0 Middlesbrough in 1979,” says David Reuben. “A game so bad that the MOTD highlights started with the second half.” And that was when highlights were usually 25-30 minutes per game, right?
37 min Shatov falls over, the referee tells him to get up. Pierluigi Collina is an early contender for man of the tournament.
34 min “And if we’re going theme tunes… nothing more exotic-sounding than the 1978 World Cup theme,” says Adam Hirst. “These days sounds more Spanish than Argentinian mind, more flamengo than tango. It even made Top of the Pops, so surely wins everything.”
GOAL! Russia 0-1 Slovakia (Weiss 32)
This is a wonderful goal! Hamsik, in the centre circle, played a fantastic 45-yard pass down the inside-left channel to Weiss, who was in far too much space. He sped into the box, came back inside on his right foot and curled it decisively into the far corner. The defending wasn’t great - Smolnikov and Berezutski went to put out the wrong fire when he came back inside - but it was a beautiful pass and an emphatic finish.
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31 min Russia have been the better side since I said Slovakia were the better side. The game is a bit more open now, and if these two teams aren’t careful one of them might score a goal.
30 min “I think Ukraine vs Switzerland in 2006 was by far the worst game I’ve ever seen,” says Benedek Szabo. “I even managed to fall asleep during the penalties.”
29 min “Hi Rob,” says Dave Ablett. “Does everyone agree that ITV’s effort is much better than BBC’s for Euro 2016? And that the title sequence poster of Iniesta supping vino in Bordeaux, is actually Ant McPartlin?”
How many bloody times: it’s Dec.
28 min The closest effort so far. Dzyuba rumbles forward again and plays a nice pass to Smolov, who advances to within 20 yards and drags a low shot this far wide of the post. Actually I think it clipped the post.
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26 min “Winning group matches is overrated,” writes Roy Hodgson Adam Hirst. “Even in the good old days of two teams qualifying from the group, it could still be done without a win. Italy even went on to win the pot in 82 after drawing all their group matches and only scoring two goals. So there is hope for England yet then. Sorry to jinx it but a 0-0 would suit both England and Wales fine here, wun’t it.”
23 min A half-chance for Russia. Smolnikov’s chipped cross is looped gently towards goal by the head of the backpedalling Dzuyba, eight yards from goal, but the ball travels so slowly that Kozacik has time to run across his line and pat it down.
23 min “The BBC 1986 tune indeed takes some beating,” says David Crowther. “However I feel it would be remiss of you not to mention ITV’s gentler, more melodic number from the same tournament.”
Indeed, though I suspect most people think of that as the Saint and Greavsie theme, even though it was used for the World Cup first.
21 min Dzyuba goes on another weirdly hypnotic 2mph solo run before being felled by Durica, prompting appeals for a penalty. It was a clean tackle, at the expense of a corner.
20 min Apropos the first 20 minutes, what’s the worst game you’ve ever seen? This would be in any Joy of Six on the subject.
17 min As well as England played on Saturday, and they were good, there was always the nagging sense that Russia might actually be crap. The first 17 minutes have done nothing to compromise that perception.
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15 min A corner to Slovakia, who are starting to control the game. Nothing comes from it, mind.
13 min A free-kick to Slovakia, 30 yards from goal. It’s touched off to Durica, who screws a dismal effort well wide.
11 min “I feel like I need to stick up for the ITV theme to Italia ’90,” writes Elton Welsby Ed Evans. “Much forgotten, underrated, and actually better. Much like the fact that the Pet Shop Boys’ amazing cover of “Always On My Mind” pipped “Fairytale Of New York” to Xmas no. 1.”
Ach! I was nodding my noggin in happy agreement until you suggested it was better than Nessun Dorma.
9 min Slovakia’s first attempt, with Hamsik belting a bouncing ball just over the bar from the left side of the box. That was a good effort.
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8 min A lumbering zig-zag from Dzyuba is thwarted by a desperate tackle by Skrtel, just inside the area, and a follow-up shot from someone or other hits a defender and spins out for a throw-in.
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7 min A precis of the excitement so far:
6 min Not a great start to the game in terms of quality or intensity. Whatever happened to the fast start?
4 min Mak is fouled down the right wing, and will take the free-kick for Slovakia. It’s swerved in and nutted behind by Kokorin. Nothing comes of the corner.
3 min Smolnikov falls awkwardly after a challenge, and is holding his left hand a little limply. He looks ready to come back on now though.
1 min Peep peep! Russia, in red, kick off from right to left. Slovakia are in white, and here’s our video guide to Lille.
Prediction: Russia 1-2 Slovakia
First email of the day “I was in Marseille on Saturday (sector V, about 400 metres above pitch level) and we spent most of the day happily mingling with Russian fans and the very relaxed gendarmerie,” says Mark Francombe, who didn’t get the memo. “The events in the stadium were awful but the impression given is that Marseille was some sort of war zone at the weekend and that was not my experience at all.”
Roof is shut in Lille to prevent Elite Ultras abseiling in from zeppelins
— Barney Ronay (@barneyronay) June 15, 2016
The BBC theme music is pretty good, though when it comes to European Championships it’s not in the same league as Mexico 86, never mind Italia 90.
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Pre-match reading
The usual effortless brilliance from Britain’s best football writer (full disclosure: we are friends and lovers)
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Roof closed inside the Stade Pierre Mauroy. Feels a bit odd. Fans mingling happily outside. pic.twitter.com/gAo3FAr9Uo
— Owen Gibson (@owen_g) June 15, 2016
If you’re into Power Rangers, our latest list reckons this match is 19th v 22nd. Hard to argue with that, but there’s a comments section just in case.
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The latest from Lille
No news = good news.
Team news
Russia (4-2-3-1) Akinfeev; Smolnikov, V Berezutski, Ignashevich, Schennikov; Golovin, Neustadter; Kolkorin, Shatov, Smolov; Dzyuba.
Slovakia (4-3-3) Kozaczik; Pekarik, Skrtel, Durica, Hubocan; Kucka, Pecovsky, Hamsik; Mak, Duda, Weiss.
There was a brief security scare around half an hour ago, with parts of the stadium closed amid reports of a suspect package. All seems okay now though, certainly from my vantage point: in north London, looking at Twitter.
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We interrupt this ongoing news story to bring you a football match
Russia vs Slovakia doesn’t feel that significant right now, for a variety of reasons beyond the purview of a humble preamble, but this match may ultimately determine whether these sides go through to the last 16, and whether Wales and England do the same.
As we know, Russia picked up a point despite losing 14-0 to England on Saturday, while Slovakia picked up no points despite playing fairly well against Wales. The new system of four third-placed qualifiers means it’s possible to get through without winning a game, so nobody is supping in the last-chance saloon just yet. But, as anybody who has followed football’s data revolution will tell you, studies show that three points are preferable to one point or none.
Kick off is 2pm BST, 3pm Lille time.
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