Russia vs. Nigeria: Friendly Match Preview, Odds & Prediction

On Friday night, Russia will host Nigeria at Luzhniki Stadium in a friendly match, marking the first-ever meeting between the two countries at the senior level. The Europeans won their most recent game in March, while the Super Eagles won the Unity Cup against Jamaica on penalties in their most recent game.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

Russia, which has been unable to compete in any international tournaments since February 2022, has managed to maintain its international profile by hosting a series of friendly matches.

The national squad has primarily focused on exhibition matches against teams outside of Europe and the West since their invasion of Ukraine led to their exclusion from global events. Their last formal excursion was in 2021 against Croatia.

The most recent of them occurred in March when Sbornaya extended their winning streak to eight matches in a row with a 5-0 thrashing of Zambia.

The Russian national team has been on a roll lately, scoring 45 goals without allowing a single one. However, with Nigeria looming as what may be their toughest test in a while, their true strength could be exposed.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria are riding high after a six-game winning streak in all competitions. In their most recent match, they prevailed in a penalty shootout.

In the first match of their Unity Cup doubleheader, the Super Eagles defeated archrivals Ghana 2-1. In the second match, they tied Jamaica 2-2 before defending their title from the penalty spot.

Eric Chelle's squad needs a near-perfect run in their last four World Cup qualifying matches after earning only seven points from their initial six. This encounter now gives them a chance to polish up before September's crucial qualifiers.

The Super Eagles are in fourth place in their group, six points behind leaders South Africa. They have a doubleheader against South Africa and Rwanda coming up, then a friendly against Lesotho, and a match against the Benin Republic after that.

Russia x Nigeria Team News

Matvey Safonov, custodian for Paris Saint-Germain's recent UEFA Champions League victory, is one of numerous famous Russians on this national team.

There will likely be little change to the starting lineup that thrashed Zambia, with Nikolay Komlichenko starting up front for the home team again.

Conversely, Eric Chelle's planned roster for Nigeria's Friday match will see significant changes due to many withdrawals and injuries.

Stanley Nwabali, who was excused from the team for funeral rituals for his late parents, should be replaced in goal by Maduka Okoye of Udinese.

Nottingham Forest right-back Ola Aina has pulled out of the team, while Wilfred Ndidi, a key midfielder, is also out for this match.

Former Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho and AC Milan winger Samuel Chukwueze both withdrew from the team for family reasons, leaving the attacking line depleted of firepower as well.

However, the squad received a much-needed boost when Bright Osayi-Samuel, a full-back for Fenerbahce, and team captain William Ekong arrived in Moscow earlier this week.

Our Predictions

Russia to win @ 2.01 o n Sky247.ng

Although this should be more competitive than Russia's previous home matches, the familiarity of the venue might give them the upper hand. Russia comes into the game on a high note.

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