Stanislav Cherchesov's men, who qualified for the Round of 16 after defeating Saudi Arabia and Egypt, will face Uruguay in Samara tonight in a match that will decide which of the teams wins Group A.

Russia will play either Spain, Portugal or Iran in the last 16.

"It is preferable to play against Portugal, because Spain, in my opinion, are a perfect team. Portugal are a bit weaker but they have (Cristiano) Ronaldo, who is the best player in the world right now. I think that we have good chances specifically against Portugal. The team [Russia] is on the roll right now, and with the fans' support Russia are able to pull off an upset," Alenichev said in a video interview published on Twitter.