Published: 44 minutes ago
A STUNNING strike from Jakub Blaszczykowski handed Poland their second point at Euro 2012.
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The co-hosts drew 1-1 against Greece in Group A's opening game last Friday.
And they repeated the scoreline to deny Russia a second victory which would have sent Dick Advocaat's men cruising into the knockout stages.
The Russians took the lead after 37 minutes through Alan Dzagoev, who netted twice in the 4-1 demolition of the Czech Republic.
But they were pinned back in the 57th minute when Blaszczykowski left fly with his left foot.
Franciszek Smuda’s side almost grabbed a seventh-minute lead when a glancing header from Sebastian Boenisch was superbly saved by Russian keeper Vyacheslav Malafeev.
Boenisch rose highest again from the resulting corner but this time could only direct his header into the arms of a relieved Malafeev.
With the Russians struggling to make any kind of impact, Poland continued to press and Robert Lewandowski almost conjured an opener out of nothing when he hooked a volley just over the bar in the 12th minute.
Poland had the ball in the net seven minutes later when Lewandowski played in Eugen Polanski, who drilled a low shot beyond Malafeev but was correctly pulled up for straying offside.
Playing an exciting brand of passing football, the Poles were dominant and Russian defender Sergei Ignashevich had to make a fine intervention to deny Lewandowski another chance in the box.
Russia finally started to get to grips with the game as it approached the half-hour mark, with Andrei Arshavin bursting down the right and crossing for Alexander Kerzhakov, who headed high and wide.
And in the 28th minute the roles were reversed as Kerzhakov turned provider from the right, sending in a low cross which just eluded the stretching Arshavin in front of goal.
Russia’s best spell of the match resulted in the opening goal as Arshavin delivered a superb free-kick from the left and Dzagoev flashed home a header past Przemyslaw Tyton.
Poland almost responded immediately, with Blaszczykowski’s powerful drive beaten away by Malafeev, but the Russians were beginning to play with the same kind of confident swagger evident in their opening group win.
Russia ended the half well on top, with Dzagoev and Zhirkov both having close-range chances and the goalscorer unlucky not to earn a penalty in first-half injury-time after being pushed over in the box.
Poland started the second half in the same manner they approached the first and came close within two minutes of the restart when Polanski’s brilliant through-ball found Lewandowski.
It was all Poland again with Ludovic Obraniak and Damien Perquis both coming close before the Russians threatened with a swift counter in the 50th minute, Kerzhakov’s dangerous run eventually intercepted by Dariusz Dudka.
Blaszczykowski sparked jubilation with the hour mark fast approaching when he got on the end of a Polish breakaway down the right and cut inside to send a superb left-foot drive beyond Malafeev.
As the game sprang into life, Dzagoev scuffed a shot straight at Tyton after being flicked through by Kerzhakov, while at the other end Blaszczykowski made ground down the left before blazing high and wide.
Poland: Tyton, Piszczek, Wasilewski, Perquis, Boenisch, Dudka (Mierzejewski 73), Polanski (Matuszczyk 84), Blaszczykowski, Murawski, Obraniak (Brozek 90), Lewandowski. Subs not used: Sandomierski, Wojtkowiak, Kaminski, Rybus, Wawrzyniak, Sobiech, Wolski, Grosicki. Booked: Lewandowski, Polanski.
Goals: Blaszczykowski 57.
Russia: Malafeev, Aniukov, Berezutsky, Ignashevich, Zhirkov, Shirokov, Denisov, Zyryanov, Dzagoev (Izmailov 79), Kerzhakov (Pavlyuchenko 70), Arshavin. Subs not used: Akinfeev, Sharonov, Kombarov, Kokorin, Granat, Pogrebnyak, Nababkin, Glushakov, Semshov, Shunin. Booked: Denisov, Dzagoev.
Goals: Dzagoev 37.
Att: 53,617
Ref: Wolfgang Stark (Germany).
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