Roundup: Russia stuns Spain in penalty shootout

Igor Akinfeev made a pair of saves, the last ending the match, as host Russia beat Spain on Sunday in the first match to go to penalty kicks in the 2018 World Cup to advance to the quarterfinal round.

After the teams played to a 1-1 draw through regulation and extra time, Russia thrilled the crowd at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow by winning the penalty shootout 4-3.

The Russians will play the winner of Sunday’s other match between Croatia and Denmark in the round of eight next Saturday.

According to the Fox broadcast, it is the biggest upset in terms of seeding in the knockout round in World Cup history. Spain is currently 10th in the FIFA World Rankings; Russia is 70th.

With Spain going first in the penalty phase, each team converted its first two kicks. Akinfeev stoned Koke in Round 3 to give Russia the first advantage. Aleksandr Golovin capitalized for Russia to take a 3-2 lead.

After both teams converted in Round 4, with Denis Cheryshev scoring to make it 4-3, Akinfeev stopped Iago Aspas to send the 2010 World Cup champs home.

It was a far cry from how the match started.

In the 12th minute, Sergei Ignashevich put the ball into his own net to give Spain an early 1-0 lead. With time winding down in the first half, Spain returned the favor with an error in its own box.

Gerard Piqué committed a hand ball in the penalty area in the 40th minute, drawing a yellow card and giving Russia a penalty kick. Artem Dzyuba converted the kick to even the match.

Ignashevich would redeem himself at the end, converting his kick in the shootout to make it 2-2 at the time.

It is the first World Cup quarterfinal appearance for Russia since Mexico in 1970, when it was the Soviet Union.

–Field Level Media