The Russian players shot four times but failed to produce a single shot on target in the game that was held in Innsbruck on Wednesday night.

"Of course we would like to see more shots on goal in the next matches. There were some shots for sure, but none of them was on goal. Everyone blames the national team and the coaching staff headed by Stanislav Cherchesov. I won't join the critics. We need to support, not stigmatize [the team]. I will continue supporting the Russian national football team till the end," Nigmatullin said.

Russia will face Saudi Arabia in Moscow on June 14, they will then take on Egypt in St. Petersburg on June 19 before playing Uruguay in Samara on June 25.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup will be held between June 14 and July 15 at 12 stadiums across 11 Russian cities.