UEFA Nations League: Russia secure 2-0 win over Turkey; lead Group 2 with 7 points

Russia lead Group 2 with seven points and will travel to Sweden who are bottom of the standings with one point.

Image Courtesy: Twitter/@UEFAEURO

Goals either side of halftime by Roman Neustadter and Denis Cheryshev handed Russia a 2-0 win against Turkey in their UEFA Nations League B, Group 2 match on Sunday.

A powerful drive by Russian defender Georgy Dzhikiya following a corner hit the post before finding Neustadter, who tapped the ball behind Turkish goalkeeper Sinan Bolat to open the scoring in the 20th minute.

Russia doubled their lead in the 78th minute when substitute Cheryshev latched on to Aleksandr Golovin`s cross and fired home with a left-footed shot just inside the near post. Cheryshev and Golovin played a key role in the nation emerging as surprise quarter-finalists in this year's world cup. 

However, their club form has been patchy, to say the least with the duo failing to make their presence felt with Valencia and Golovin respectively. Their sublime performance against Turkey augurs well for the national side who will be looking to make a similar impact in the UEFA Nations league as well. 

Russia lead Group 2 with seven points. They will travel to Sweden, who are bottom of the standings with one point but with a game in hand, on Nov. 20.

Turkey have three points and will be looking to make a comeback in the coming fixtures.