The Indian women's football team suffered a 4-0 defeat against Russia in the first of their two international friendlies at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Thursday.
The Blue Tigresses were facing a strong Russian side ranked 27th in the world, with India currently 69th. Iana Sheina opened the scoring for Russia in the 40th minute, as the midfielder showed great strength to hold off an Indian defender before finding the bottom-left corner with a well-placed finish.
Russia remained within India's reach for much of the first half, but the visitors stepped up the tempo after the break.
Captain Smirnova doubled Russia's lead in the 60th minute. Ten minutes later, tired legs and slippery conditions led to an error inside the Indian box, which substitute Kira took full advantage of as her shot found its way past Monalisha Devi and into the net.
India's head coach Crispin Chettri responded with a flurry of substitutions as India looked to recover from conceding the third goal, but nothing worked as Russia added a fourth in the 80th minute through substitute Ana Svistunova. She controlled a bouncing delivery from the left side of the pitch with an immaculate touch before driving the ball past Monalisha Devi and into the net.
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Russia entered the contest as favourites after winning both previous meetings between the two teams. They had thrashed India 8-0 in 2021 before securing a 2-0 victory in Sharjah in February 2025. The defeat means India are still searching for their first victory over Russia, with the European side once again proving too strong for the Blue Tigresses.
India head coach Crispin Chettri had used the two-match series as an opportunity to test a young squad against higher-ranked opposition.
The Indian squad has an average age of around 23, with the matches providing valuable exposure ahead of the team's next major assignment.
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The two sides will meet again on October 11 at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan. India will be hoping for a much-improved performance in the second friendly and an opportunity to end the series on a positive note.
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