Heartbroken Russia look to Croatia for help
Russia go into their final Euro 2008 Group E qualifier away to Andorra on Wednesday with little hope of reaching the finals after squandering their chance in Israel over the weekend.
Guus Hiddink`s team had been in the driving seat following last month`s shock victory over England in Moscow but lost the initiative after a 2-1 defeat in Tel Aviv.
The Russians must now beat bottom-of-the-table Andorra and hope that England lose to Croatia in their last match.
Not many in Russia believe that already-qualified Croatia will beat rejuvenated England at Wembley and hand the Russians a second chance. The Croats lost 2-0 to Macedonia in Skopje on Saturday after securing their passage to Euro finals.
Hiddink, however, has not given up hope just yet.
"I expect Croatia to show their commitment and fighting spirit at Wembley just like Israel did against us," he told reporters after Saturday`s match.
The Dutchman must now revive his troops for what many Russians feel is essentially a dead rubber.
Andorra, who have never won a Euro qualifier, have lost all 11 of their encounters so far and should not pose too much of a threat to Russia, who routed them 4-0 in St Petersburg in June, with Sevilla`s Alexander Kerzhakov notching a hat-trick.
The group`s whipping boys fell 2-0 at home to second-bottom Estonia on Saturday, taking their tally of goals conceded to 41.
They have scored only twice in the current campaign and both were in matches away from home.
Russia will be without Roman Pavlyuchenko, who scored both goals in the 2-1 win over England last month, after the Spartak Moscow striker injured his ankle in Tel Aviv on Saturday.
Probable teams:
Russia: Vladimir Gabulov; Sergei Ignashevich or Denis Kolodin, Alexei Berezutsky, Alexander Anyukov; Yuri Zhirkov, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, Konstantin Zyryanov, Dmitry Torbinsky; Andrei Arshavin, Alexander Kerzhakov, Dmitry Sychev
Andorra: Koldo; Txema, Jordi Escura, Oscar Sonejee, Toni Lima, Ildefons Lima, Manolo Jimenez, Marcio Vieira, Sergio Moreno, Marc Pujol, Antoni Sivera.
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