UPDATE: The game was postponed due to snow. It will take place on Saturday at 3 PM EST.
Russia has a five point lead on second place Portugal and Israel in Group F, but Coach Fabio Cappello knows that he must not sit on his team's laurels as Russia heads to Northern Ireland for its fifth World Cup qualifying match.
"I think this game is going to be crucial for us. Northern Ireland tied with the Portuguese at home, so the visit to Belfast will be a serious challenge for our side, "Cappello told Russian publication Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily. "I really hope our players have joined the team in their best shape. The problem, though, is that they haven't played many official games this year. More practice is needed to improve their physical condition."
Regarding the cushion in the standings he added that "a five point lead is definitely not enough. We've only played four matches and there are six more to come. It will be very difficult to qualify for the World Cup. Indeed, we have started off well and were able to overtake Portugal. But we still have a long way to go in the qualifiers."
Russia has been perfect in four World Cup qualifiers. Not only has the team won all four matches, but they have yet to concede a goal.
Their opponents know the danger Russia presents, but are also confident in their chances. "Sometimes you can afford to be more adventurous but given the quality of the Russians, we are going to have to be very set and disciplined in how we play," said Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill. "Russia are in a very strong position and we will have to do most of our attacking on the counter-attack.
"The players believe they are going in the right direction and while we did well in the away match in Russia, there were areas we needed to improve on."
Predictions: Russia wins 3-0.
Start Time: 3:45 PM
TV: Sky Sports 3
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