Russia midfielder Aleksandr Golovin said on Wednesday that the team felt they could reach the World Cup final even before the tournament got underway.
The host nation will take on Croatia in Sochi on Sunday after edging out 2010 World Cup winners Spain on penalties to reach their first-ever World Cup quarter-final.
"Before the beginning of the tournament we all understood that we can reach the final," Golovin told journalists.
The host nation entered the tournament as the lowest-ranked team.
International news source
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