Leaky defence, lack of creativity condemn Russia to early Euros exit

Soccer Football - Euro 2020 - Group B - Russia v Denmark - Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark - June 21, 2021 Russia's Artem Dzyuba looks dejected after Denmark's Yussuf Poulsen scored their second goal Pool via REUTERS/Stuart Franklin

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Defensive calamities and a lack of creativity up front ended Russia's dream of reaching the knockout stage of the European championship for the first time in more than a decade, as they finished last in their group on Monday night.

Despite playing two of their three Group B matches at home in St Petersburg, repeated defensive blunders and shaky goalkeeping made it nearly impossible for the team to dominate their opponents. There were moments of quality against surprise qualifiers Finland, but little else.