Russia 2-1 Slovenia

Two goals from Diniyar Bilyaletdinov gave Russia a 2-1 win over Slovenia in a World Cup qualification play-off.

In the first game of a two-legged tie in Moscow, the Everton playmaker stole the show with a sublime first goal five minutes before half-time.
The same player doubled Russia's lead with a less extravagant finish six minutes after half-time and that should have been the prompt for Guus Hiddink's team to all but confirm their participation at South Africa 2010.
However chances came and went for the home side and two minutes from full-time Slovenian substitute Nejc Pecnik headed into an empty net to give the visitors a chance ahead of next Wednesday's second leg.
Slovenia were not without their chances in the first half either. Valter Birsa's shot was deflected wide after a break down the left by Milivoje Novakovic while strike partner Zlatko Dedic shot into the side netting after attempting to round Igor Akinfeev.
Russia were predictably the more fluid in possession but, apart from a Yuri Zhirkov run and shot that was turned aside by Samir Handanovic, the Muscovites had had little to get excited about before their side took the lead five minutes before half-time.
There was, however, a lot to get excited about with the execution of Bilyaletdinov's opener.
The Everton man's turn would not have looked out of place at the nearby Bolshoi theatre, the forward's fleet of foot deceiving two defenders at once before he picked his spot - the top left-hand corner of Handanovic's goal.
If Russia could have been accused in the first half of being overly cautious, the same charge could not have been levelled at Guus Hiddink's side at the start of the second.
The hosts attacked Slovenia from the off and within seven minutes of the restart had the cushion of a second goal.
Roman Pavlyuchenko had already seen a close-range shot deflected into the arms of Handanovic and Sergei Ignashevich a fierce free-kick tipped over the bar by the Slovenian shot-stopper before Bilyaletdinov doubled his team's lead.
Lacking the artistic grace of the first goal, Bilyaletdinov did the necessary from eight yards with a low shot that found the bottom corner of the goal via a deflection.
Pavlyuchenko continued his search for a goal but was unable to beat Handanovic, either with a fierce shot or a diving header.
Bilyaletdinov could have claimed his hat-trick with his head but, moments after skewing a shot wide, substitute Pecnik headed into an unguarded net to set up a frantic finale.
Incredibly, Slovenia could even have equalised, but defender Marko Suler's shot was saved brilliantly by Akinfeev two minutes into time added on at the end of the game.