These upcoming matches will serve as a crucial test for the Russian national team, which currently boasts an impressive 20-game unbeaten streak. Iran is ranked 21st by FIFA, while Bolivia recently secured a notable victory against Brazil.
A pivotal moment is approaching for the Russian national football team. Valeri Karpin`s squad is gearing up for two highly challenging international friendlies. On Friday, October 10, the team will face World Cup participant Iran in Volgograd. Four days later, on October 14, Moscow will host the first-ever encounter between Russia and the national team of Bolivia.
Since their defeat to Croatia four years ago, Karpin`s players have maintained an impressive 20-match unbeaten run. This period also includes a spectacular winning streak of eight consecutive victories with a combined score of 44:0. While some previous opponents were less formidable, such as Serbia, Belarus, and Zambia, the upcoming October adversaries are significantly stronger. Iran, ranked 21st by FIFA (compared to Russia`s 33rd), holds a historical advantage over Russia with one win and two draws in past encounters. Bolivia, a South American team, recently triumphed over Brazil in their last match. However, as Russian head coach Valeri Karpin points out, there`s a crucial detail:
Valeri Karpin states: “Bolivia beat Brazil at home! They consistently win against everyone on their home turf. I believe they would have beaten us too. Playing at an altitude of five thousand meters, where it`s impossible to even walk and breathe calmly, means it`s not the most accurate approach to heavily consider their specific game against Brazil, which they won at home. Nevertheless, these are some of the strongest national teams we`ve faced recently. They can be placed on par with Nigeria and Serbia. Both teams are World Cup participants. Yes, they have differences, primarily stylistic ones. Iran is, shall we say, a more athletic, perhaps more intense team. Bolivia is more technical. In simple terms, to make it clear: who is harder to dispossess—a tall and powerful player or a small and nimble one? You decide.”
I must admit that I am in the minority with my reservations. Everyone is anticipating new, impressive results, emphasizing that the national team currently boasts a real abundance of `creative and aggressive` players on the field. The squad includes the most players from CSKA (Army men) and Lokomotiv (Railwaymen) – five from each club. There are only three absent players due to injury: Fomin, Litvinov, and Musaev have been sent back to their clubs for recovery. Expectations are high, with a great deal of optimism, even against a formidable and resilient opponent like Iran. For instance, Ruslan Pimenov, a two-time Russian champion and a national team forward from the early 2000s, shared his prediction for the Odds.ru portal:
Ruslan Pimenov commented: “A rather strong opponent. But! How did our national team look in the match against Qatar? The guys actually played incredibly well. The youth – Kislyak and his teammates – completely overwhelmed the opponent`s team, and Qatar had absolutely no counter-arguments. As soon as our players played quickly, the opponents had zero chances. I hope our team won`t slow down in the match against Iran. Because all the team leaders are currently in excellent form. And I think, with a full stadium, the tempo, the power – everything will be there. I expect a big win.”
Iran rarely loses, let alone by a wide margin. Since their defeat to England at the World Cup three years ago, they have only lost once in a qualification tournament, and that was after securing their spot in the Mundial and fielding a reserve squad for the subsequent match. Therefore, if Russia achieves success against Iran, it would place Karpin`s team on par with football`s originators, with the sole distinction that for the Persians, this match against Russia is considered a friendly.
Both of the national team`s October matches will be broadcast live on Match TV. Both are scheduled to kick off at the same time – eight in the evening.
Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth