Cash collection: what did the Russian national team show after the September matches?

The national football team has completed the first autumn training camp in 2025. To some extent, it can be considered a warm-up before matches with higher-status opponents in October and November. There, Valery Karpin's team will face the national teams of Iran, Bolivia, Peru and Chile. And what is important is that all these four matches will be held at Russian stadiums, for their fans. In the meantime, we can summarize the results of the September gathering. Even after the matches with the national teams of Jordan and Qatar, there are interesting moments worthy of special attention.

Russia is still invincible

Almost two years have passed since the last defeat of the Russian national team. And that's adjusted for the average age of the team. In September 2023, the Russian national team played two matches with the Egyptian Olympic team, made up of players under the age of 23. And it was a great opportunity for our team to test the younger generation.

If it is still fair to single out that defeat from the Egyptians with a score of 1:2, then it was from that moment that the unbeaten streak of the Russian national team amounted to 15 matches. After Egypt, there was a draw with Qatar (1:1), in October — a victory over Cameroon (1:0) and a draw with Kenya (2:2), and in November — a defeat of Cuba (8:0).

In 2024, the Russian national team swept away everyone in its path. Not only were there victories in all the matches, but there were also no goals conceded. Serbia (4:0), Belarus (4:0), Vietnam (3:0), Brunei (11:0) and Syria (4:0) got it.

In March 2025, the dominance continued with defeats of Grenada and Zambia with the same score 5:0, but in June the winning streak was interrupted when the strong national team of Nigeria arrived (1:1). In the same month, the Russian national team paid a second visit to Belarus a year later and scored four goals again at the new stadium in Minsk. However, I missed one.

And finally, in September there were matches with Jordan (0:0) and Qatar (4:1). In total, the Russian national team's unbeaten streak currently totals 15 matches. Goal difference is something out of the realm of fantasy — 57:6. But still, adjusted for the level of resistance of some rivals, the result is normal. As if that's how it should be. In any case, this confirms the seriousness of the Russian national team's attitude towards friendly matches in the current situation and shows that our guys are ready to return to official international competitions at any moment.

Four against one: Russia defeated the Qatar team in a friendly match

Valery Karpin's team was rehabilitated after an inarticulate game with the national team of Jordan

Opening time

The next game cycle of the Russian national team provided two young players with the opportunity to experience special sensations for the first time in their careers. And both of these players represent CSKA at the club level.

Matvey Lukin, a 21-year-old central defender who has passed all age levels in the national team from U-16 to U-21, made his debut in the main national team of the country. Karpin released Lukin in the 64th minute instead of his teammate Igor Diveev. However, Matvey didn't have much time to show in 26 minutes: he only remembered 90% of accurate passes and one ball takedown. But this is only the first match — everything is still ahead if we don't slow down.

It is symbolic that in the same 64th minute, another young and promising CSKA player, Matvey Kislyak, left the field. The match against Qatar was already Matvey's fifth in the national team, but it was in it that Kislyak scored his first goal in a T-shirt with a double-headed eagle. And in general, the midfielder left a very pleasant impression of his game.

We saw the strongest Russian national team

The day before the match with Qatar, Valery Karpin said that we will see the best players today. "Qatar will be the strongest team at the moment. It's a thankless task to compare with what happened a year ago, two years ago. But right now, it will definitely be the strongest version of the squad," said the head coach of the Russian national team.

And he didn't cheat. From the first minutes, PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov, Monaco midfielder Alexander Golovin (with the captain's armband), Alexei Miranchuk, who plays in the US championship for the Atlanta club, as well as young stars in the person of Matvey Kislyak and Alexei Batrakov, joined by the more experienced Alexander Silyanov, Igor Diveev, Maxim Osipenko, Danila, and others. Krugovoy, Anton Miranchuk and Ivan Sergeev.

And everyone was primed for victory. The difference in class was immediately noticeable. And it was clear from the young guys that they would make more noise.

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"First of all, I would single out Batrakov and Kislyak," noted Gennady Orlov, a well—known commentator, in a conversation with Izvestia. — Both performed well between the lines. I'll even put the CSKA player in the first place. Kislyak is the best player of the match. I'm superbly prepared physically. Matvey, being a defensive midfielder, runs into the penalty area all the time. He is looking for an opportunity to shoot at the goal. And these runs of his confuse the defenders. No one is waiting for him by and large! No one accompanies him, as they do not assume that it will be Kislyak who completes the attacks. The surprise effect. Karpin's tactics prevailed. Lopetegui, on the other hand, did not prepare properly for this game. After the draw with Jordan, there was really talk that it would be difficult for us in Qatar. But you see how it all turned out in the end. Physically, we clearly outperformed the opponent. They were faster, sharper.

The expert also noted a moment that alerted him.

— I think the national team needs a strong power forward. Still, it will be necessary to vary tactics. There will be stronger rivals than Qatar. If Sobolev continues to score, he will end up in the national team," Orlov concluded.

Most likely, this is exactly the composition of the Russian national team that could now withstand strong European teams in the qualifiers for the European and world championships, as well as in the matches of the League of Nations. But who knows, maybe our guys will be given such an opportunity very soon.