Group A is full of Eastern promise. Anyone who thought Vladimir Putin had hand-picked this group for his country may have to think again in a section laden with as much intrigue as a Cold War John Le Carre thriller.
The hosts kick off the tournament against Saudi Arabia and the pressure could become suffocating if they don’t get three points on the board.
TOP DOGS
Uruguay. With their attacking prowess and cynical defensive play, the South Americans qualified second in South America and clearly have the pedigree in this section. Fourth-place finishers in 2010, then taking England apart prior to a last-16 exit four years ago, Oscar Tabarez has an ageing unit on his hands.
Most of their notables are in their 30s, including strikers Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez and defenders Diego Godin and Maxi Pereira.
DARK HORSES
Egypt lost just one match in qualifying – to a late goal in Uganda. Assuming Mo Salah’s shoulder holds up, he and the likes of West Brom’s Ahmed Hegazy and Arsenal’s Mohamed Elneny could help carry last year’s Africa Cup of Nations runners-up a fair way in this tournament. Wily Argentinian coach Hector Cuper always makes sure they don’t give too much away at the other end.
WOODEN SPOON CONTENDERS
By the rankings at least, this group – and the opening game – plays host to the two worst teams in the tournament: Saudi Arabia (67th) and hosts Russia (70th). The ambitious Green Falcons, as they return to the world scene for the first time in 12 years, could spring a surprise or two under the charge of Juan Antonio Pizzi (their third manager of the campaign) and then there are the hosts, who are mired in doping intrigue over one of their players and haven’t won any of their last seven matches.
Could they follow South Africa, who were the first host nation to fail to qualify from the group, or will everything come right on the night?
CLASS ACTS
Cavani was the top scorer in South American qualifying and quietly had an excellent season beside all the Neymar rumpus at Paris Saint-Germain. Salah, an emerging world superstar, was the joint top scorer in the African sections. The hosts are holding out for a hero, could this be the time for a talent like Denis Cheryshev to shine?
YOUNG BUCKS
Experience generally holds sway in this group, but 21-year-old Stoke City winger Ramadan Sobhi is keen to move on from the Potteries this summer to escape the Championship and has a perfect window to impress his would-be suitors here.
He is an extravagant player, who once stood on the ball during an Al-Ahly-Zamalek derby, earning a whack which saw his opponent sent off.
Uruguay’s Rodrigo Betancour, who now plies his trade at Juventus, is the young talent who makes the golden oldies of the team tick. Aleksandr Golovin of Russia seems to a midfielder with real potential – the 21-year-old won the European Under 17 Championship in 2013 and has already represented Russia on 17 occasions, scoring two goals.
SCOTTISH INTEREST
Six members of the Zenit St Petersburg squad which took care of Celtic on Europa League duty line up on Russia duty make it here. Rostov-on-Don, where Uruguay take on Saudi Arabia, is twinned with Glasgow.
CURIOSITY CORNER
Saudi Arabia striker Mohammad Al-Sahlawi, who has 26 goals in 33 internationals, spent three weeks training with Manchester United in the lead-up to the tournament. The Saudi princes also stumped up to broker deals to give talented attacking players, Salem Al-Dossary, Yahya Al-Shehri and Fahad Al-Muwallad, loan spells in La Liga.
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