Villarreal midfielder Denis Cheryshev scored a double as hosts Russia pummeled Saudi Arabia 5-0 in the opening match of the 2018 World Cup at Moscow's 81,000-seater Luzhniki Stadium on Thursday.
Yuri Gazinzky headed home the opener 12 minutes in, before fellow midfielder Cheryshev doubled Russia's lead just before halftime to become the first player in history to score a goal in the World Cup opening match after coming on from the bench.
Striker Artem Dzyba made it 3-0 to the hosts just a minute after substituting Fedor Smolov while Cheryshev added his second of the night in stoppage time and Aleksandr Golovin completed the 5-0 scoreline with a free kick.
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