Football
2016 European Championship Qualifying, Group Stage 2016
RUS 
2
FT
 MNE
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PA Sport 8y

Russia qualify for Euro 2016 with victory over Montenegro

First-half goals from Oleg Kuzmin and Aleksandr Kokorin booked Russia's place at Euro 2016 with a 2-0 victory over Montenegro in Moscow.

Kuzmin fired a 33rd-minute opener and Kokorin added a penalty four minutes later as the Russians guaranteed second place in Group G behind runaway winners Austria.

Leonid Slutsky's side had gone into the game knowing victory would be enough to book their final place, but that anything less could see them pipped into a play-off place.

Kuzmin settled the hosts' nerves just past the half-hour mark when he pounced in the box to slide home a right-footed effort after being set up by Igor Denisov.

And four minutes later Vladimir Rodic was yellow-carded for a foul on Dmitri Kombarov in the box and Kokorin fired the resulting spot-kick past Milan Mijatovic.

Artem Dzyuba saw a fine shot saved by Mijatovic just before half-time and Alan Dzagoev blazed a good chance high and wide two minutes after the break.

Montenegro showed some signs of heaping pressure on their opponents with Fatos Beqiraj shooting wide from long range and Esteban Saveljich heading just wide from a Beqiraj corner.

But Russia increased the pressure as the minutes ticked down, Roman Shirokov drawing a save out of Mijatovic and Denisov shooting wide.

Pavel Mamaev had a better chance 15 minutes from time and the Russians slowed the momentum with a series of late substitutions before Denis Cheryshev missed the chance to make it three in injury time.

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