Gabsi holds off Solomatin. (Allsport)

Final score: Russia 2 Tunisia 0

Man of the match: Ruslan Pimenov. Failed to score, but lead the line superbly, putting his senior partner Vladimir Beschastnykh to shame.

90 min: That's it. Russia have opened with a victory that sends them to the top oif the group.

90 min: Trabelsi breaks down the right and forces a corner off Sychev.

90 min: There will be two minutes of added time.

90 min: Ben Achour shoots from the angle of the area but his effort drifts across goal.

89 min: Karpin is pulled up for a foul down the left flank.

88 min: Alenichev goes into the book for kicking the ball away after the referee has penalised him for a foul on Beya.

87 min: Sychev shoots straight at Boumnigel after a nice four-man move at the edge of the Tunisian box.

86 min: Jaziri goes down in the box again appealing for a penalty but his claim is waved away by the referee.

85 min: Alenichev's ball in is headed clear but Solomatin lofts it straight back in. Boumnigel flaps badly, allowing Sychev to shoot, but his effort from a narrow angle drifts across goal.

85 min: Jaidi is forced to concede a corner down the Russian left.

84 min: A free-kick from the right is easily claimed by Nigmatullin.

83 min: Tunisia make their third substitution, bringing a striker - Ali Zitouni - on for a defender - Badra.

81 min: Ben Achour shows quick feet in centre field, but his ball out to the left drifts out of play.

80 min: Sychev heads over from the centre of the area.

78 min: Izmailov makes way for Dmitri Alenichev.

77 min: Nikiforov takes a blow in the face as he blocks Sellimi's shot. The ball rebounds to Jaziri, but he can only shoot wide.

77 min: The flag-kick is wasted as Solomatin hacks clear at the front post.

76 min: Jaziri forces a corner down the left off Onopko.

75 min: Ben Achour shows nice skill on the edge of the box and slides through Jaziri. He dives theatrically in the box and is booked for 'simulation'.

74 min: Trabelsi continues to look lively down the right as he beats Onopko this time, but his ball in is hacked clear.

73 min: Titov tees up Khokhlov with a lovely back-heel on the edge of the box, but the resulting shot is well blocked.

72 min: Russia build patiently in midfield knowing they have done the hard work in building up a two-goal lead.

70 min: Beya's attempt to get the ball into the box with an overhead kick fails as Nigmatullin claims it easily.

68 min: Jaidi does well to block Khokhlov as he looks to get a shot away from the edge of the area.

67 min: Gabsi and captain Sellimi are replaced by Zoubeir Beya and Imed Mhadhebi.

66 min: Jaziri can't get much power into an acrobatic shot after good work by Ben Achour. Nigmatullin saves easily at his feet.

65 min: Karpin pulls down Bouzaine just outside the Russian box out to the left.

64 min: Tunisia force a throw down the left as Sellimi continues to test Onopko.

64 min: GOAL - KARPIN. Karpin shoots home coolly from the spot to make it 2-0.

63 min: Jaidi brings down Sychev in the Tunisian box and the referee awards the penalty.

60 min: Pimenov gets down the right but his ball in to Sychev is well claimed by Boumnigel.

59 min: GOAL - TITOV. Izmailov's flag-kick sails into the arms of Boumnigel. He fails to clear his lines properly and Titov latches on to the ball to drill home from the edge of the area with his right foot.

58 min: Russia force a corner down the right as Sellimi slides in to halt Nikiforov.

57 min: Sellimi works himself some space down ther right but his ball is hacked out of the area by Nikiforov.

56 min: Ben Achour forces a throw deep into Russian territory down the right, which Tunisia turn into a corner as Sellimi does well.

55 min: Pimenov goes close to putting Russia in front as he swings his foot at a corner from the right. The shot sails inches wide of the post.

54 min: Sychev is immediately into the action as he breaks forward forcing Bouzaine to shepherd the ball out for a corner.

54 min: Russia bring Dmitri Sychev on for Beschastnykh.

53 min: Trabelsi and Gabsi link well down the right but Karpin does superbly to flick the ball off of Sellimi's head as the Tunisian prepares to head the cross into an empty net.

52 min: Ben Achour is inches away from putting Tunisia in front as he rifles in a shot from 20 yards.

51 min: The ball is tapped sideways to Nikiforov from the free-kick but his shot sails wildly over the bar.

50 min: Gabsi goes into the book after failing to retreat 10 yards at the free-kick.

49 min: Trabelsi is harshly penalised for handball just two yards outside the Tunisian box. Nikiforov eyes up the free-kick.

47 min: Karpin's curling ball in from the right finds substitute Khokhlov in space at the back post, but he can only head the ball wide.

46 min: Russia get things underway in the second half. They have brought Dmitri Khokhlov on for Semshov.

HT: Russia 0 Tunisia 0.

45 min: That's half time. Russia have had the best of the possession, but Tunisia have looked lively on the ball.

45 min: Karpin slides the ball in to Titov, but his shot on the turn drifts just wide of the post.

45 min: There will be one minute of added time at the end of the half.

44 min: Slim Ben Achour tries to link up with Jaziri down the right but his ball through sails in to Nigmatullin's arms.

43 min: Raouf Bouzaine is the latest player to leave the field after falling awkwardly in a challenge with Karpin. He's quickly back on though after receiving treatment.

42 min: Pimenov climbs with Boumnigel as both jump for a high ball. The free-kick goes the goalkeeper's way and both players receive a talking-to from the official.

41 min: Russia build nicely again just outside the area but Trabelsi hacks clear as they look to move inside the box through Pimenov.

40 min: Jaziri gets back to his feet, but he looks a bit winded.

39 min: Jaziri attempts to acrobatically connect with Trabelsi's cross from the right, but fails and is left in a heap on the floor.

38 min: Nikiforov fires in the shot with his right foot, but it sails harmlessly wide of the Tunisian goal.

37 min: Pimeov goes down 35 yards from goal and earns the free-kick. Mkacher is the man penalised by the referee.

36 min: Russia are dominant in possession at the moment - indeed the stats show they've had 61% of the ball thus far.

35 min: Russian build well and spray the ball nicely from side to side, but Karpin's cross is blocked.

34 min: Trabelsi powers down the right and plays a one-two with Jaziri. He appeals for a corner after clashing with Onopko, but the Russian has done enough to earn a goal-kick.

32 min: Karpin floats over a ball from the left, but if falls behind Beschastnykh and he can't divert it goalwards.

31 min: Gabsi's snapshot from the edge of the box sails way over the Russian goal.

30 min: Jaziri is back on and looks to be moving freely again.

29 min: Pimenov earns Russia a free-kick just outside the box on the left flank. The ball in is aimed towards Karpin, but he is pulled up for a push on Sellimi.

28 min: Jaziri leaves the field on a stretcher for treatment.

27 min: Semshov miscontrols, then brings down Jaziri as he tries to regain possession. The Russian defender goes into the book for the trip.

26 min: Karpin tries to get down the right again, but miscontrols as he tries to beat his defender.

25 min: Russia break down the right through Karpin whose cross is hacked clear by Trabelsi with Semshov close by.

23 min: Beschastnykh tries to lay in Semshov, but he's been flagged offside.

22 min: Pimenov tees up Izmailov who shoots from 25 yards. The shot curls to Boumnigel's left but he is equal to the task.

21 min: Russia are lucky to ecape as confusion in their defence sees Yuri Kovtun put the ball past his own keeper, but it slides inches wide of the post.

20 min: Hassan Gabsi nutmegs Onopko to lay in Trabelsi down the right, but his cross is hacked clear by Semshov.

19 min: Russia try a free-kick routine from the training ground which fails miserably and Tunisia break.

18 min: Beschastnykh tumbles about 30 yards from the Tunisia goal and is awarded the free-kick. It's just to the right of the goal.

17 min: An acrobatic effort from Pimenov is straight at Boumnigel, who claims the ball under no pressure.

16 min: Riadh Bouazizi hacks clear out of his own six-yard box after Pimenov crosses from the right.

15 min: Trabelsi returns to the action after a spell of treatment.

14 min: Again Russia build nicely and Boumnigel has to be alert to save well from Andrei Solomatin before grabbing the rebound at the feet of Ruslan Pimenov.

13 min: Hatem Trabelsi - who was a fitness doubt going into the match - has gone down with what looks to be a recurrence of his knee injury.

12 min: Russia enjoy a good spell of possession which ends when Onopko tries unsuccessfully to thread a ball between two Tunisian defenders.

10 min: Onopko dwells on the ball and has it nicked away by Jaziri, who looks lively in the early stages.

9 min: Titov and Izmailov both have shots from 25 yards blocked in quick succession.

8 min: Khaled Badra and Jaziri link up well but Badra's left-footed shot drifts well wide of Ruslan Nigmatullin's goal.

7 min: Boumnigel races off his line to snatch the ball off of Izmailov's toes as he looks to latch on to a dinked cross.

6 min: Marat Izmailov's flag-kick is headed clear bravely by Radhi Jaidi under pressure from Egor Titov.

5 min: Karpin's cross from the right is headed out for Russia's first corner.

4 min: Sellimi just fails to connect in the Russian box after a nice move down the right from Tunisia.

4 min: The flag-kick is headed clear at the far post before Yuri Nikiforov concedes a throw down the right which Tunisia convert into a corner.

3 min: Jaziri forces a corner down the right off Onopko.

3 min: Karpin drills in the free-kick from 20 yards but it's straight at Ali Boumnigel, who fists it away.

2 min: Vladimir Beschastnykh breaks towards the Tunisian box and is pulled down by Mohamed Mkacher on the edge of the area. The free-kick is awarded.

1 min: Russia are fortunate to escape with a goalkick after Viktor Onopko overplays at the back.

0 min: Tunisia get the game underway.

Pre-match: Tunisia have five survivors from their last World Cup campaign, with the star men likely to be Ziad Jaziri and Adel Sellimi.

Russia have Alexander Mostovoi on the bench. Their main playmaker is likely to be Valery Karpin.