The Russian under-16 national team kicked off their UEFA Development Tournament campaign with a commanding 5-0 victory over their Azerbaijani counterparts in Shymkent, Kazakhstan.
Russia’s goals came from Ratmir Lukyanov (49th minute), Vladislav Bannikov (52nd), Maxim Ivanov (62nd), Alexander Strizhakov (84th), and Maxim Sevostyanov (90+4). The result underlined the young Russian side’s clinical finishing and overall dominance throughout the match.
Following this opening win, Russia is set to face Pakistan and Kazakhstan in the round-robin tournament, with each team playing the others once. The squad will aim to build on this strong start as they continue their development on the international stage.