[Euro 2008] Russia 2-0 Sweden

Guus Hiddink's gamble of taking the previously suspended Andrei Arshavin to Euro 2008 paid off in spectacular fashion with the forward putting in a fine performance as Russia downed Sweden 2-0 to set up a Basel quarter-final against the Netherlands on Saturday.

Group D - Matchday 3
RUSSIA 2-0 SWEDEN
Tivoli Neu Stadion, Innsbruck
Russia beat Sweden in Innsbruck to set up a clash with coach Guus Hiddink's native country the Netherlands in the last eight of Euro 2008. Andrei Arshavin, playing his first game of the tournament after suspension, inspired a superb attacking display. He was involved as Aleksandr Anyukov set up Roman Pavlyuchenko for a close-range finish after 24 minutes. And Arshavin then started and finished a sweeping move to slide home Yuri Zhirkov's pass in the 50th minute. Russia exerted almost total domination and also struck the woodwork through Pavlyuchenko and Konstantin Zyryanov as they threatened to rack up a more emphatic victory margin.

It was easily the most impressive Russian performance of Euro 2008 and if they reproduce this quality against the counter-attacking style of the Dutch in Basel on Saturday, it will be a mouth-watering clash.

Russia: Akinfeev, Aniukov, Ignashevich, Kolodin, Zhirkov, Semak, Zyryanov, Semshov, Bilyaletdinov (Saenko 66), Arshavin, Pavluchenko (Bystrov 90).
Sweden: Isaksson, Stoor, Mellberg, Hansson, Nilsson (Allback 79), Elmander, Andersson (Kallstrom 55), Svensson, Ljungberg, Henrik Larsson, Ibrahimovic.

[Euro 2008 Group D]