**Russia hosts Iran in a friendly that should lean decisively toward the home side.** The hosts are rolling after two consecutive 3-0 wins, while Iran's form is mixed at best — they've looked toothless lately (1-3 loss to Uzbekistan, a draw against Egypt). 🔥

Russia's missing a few pieces (Mironov, Krivtsov, Ibishev all out), but depth isn't the problem here. Iran's shaky defense and inability to convert chances make this a mismatch on paper.

Key storylines:

- **Russia's attack** has found its rhythm in recent games — expect **L. Sadulaev** and **M. Glushenkov** to exploit Iran's defensive vulnerabilities
- **M. Taremi** carries Iran's creative burden almost single-handedly; if Iran's midfield can't shield **A. Beiranvand**, this gets ugly fast
- Home-turf advantage at Kazan Arena plus Russia's current form = classic setup for a dominant performance

Expected lineups:

- **Russia**: S. Agkatsev, D. Krugovoy, V. Melekhin, M. Osipenko, M. Beveev, N. Umyarov, M. Kislyak, I. Oblyakov, L. Sadulaev, I. Sergeev, M. Glushenkov
- **Iran**: A. Beiranvand, S. Khalilzadeh, R. Rezaeian, H. Kanaani, M. Mohammadi, S. Hardani, M. Torabi, S. Ghoddos, S. Ezatolahi, O. Noorafkan, M. Taremi

Prediction:

**Russia 2-0 Iran.** Russia edges this with their superior moment; Iran will park the bus and hope for scraps.