Sunday 12 June 2016 11:31, UK
England suffered a stoppage-time setback as Russia salvaged a point in their Group B encounter in Marseille on Saturday night.
Eric Dier's second-half free-kick looked to have won the game for Roy Hodgson's side, but a looping header from Russia's captain Vasili Berezutski levelled things up.
Here we pick out five things that we learned from England's 1-1 draw…
Youthful exuberance
Prior to some questionable substitutions, Hodgson looked to have banished for good the accusations that he's a negative coach. This was an attacking team selection by the England coach and his young side took the game to Russia from the outset, dominating the first half as they pressed Russia hard and played with real verve.
Raheem Sterling ran at opponents, Adam Lallana cut through the Russia defence and the full-backs were to the fore, joining the attacks time and time again, played in by an on-song Wayne Rooney. Much has been made of England's inexperienced side playing without fear and while the result fell short, the players' attitude should at least encourage supporters.
Rooney revels in role
Having not played in midfield once for England prior to the tournament, the selection of Rooney in a far deeper role for the team's first game left Hodgson open to criticism. And yet, his skipper delivered an assured performance in the centre of the pitch, particularly in the first half, during which he was arguably the game's dominant force.
Rooney completed more passes than anyone before the break and connected with five of his six long balls, spraying it around confidently. He got through plenty of work at the other end, too, and while the game ended on a flat note with Russia's late equaliser, it's worth noting that he had been substituted by that point. The positional switch was a success.
Dier is the key man
Holding midfield is a crucial role in any side and the responsibility on Dier's shoulders is greater than most given he's the only natural man for the role in England's squad. On this evidence, he's relishing it. Not only did he score the goal, but his use of the ball was good - completing 90 per cent of his 68 passes - and he showed maturity in protecting the defence.
Having not played a competitive game for England prior to this tournament, it's extraordinary that the 22-year-old has since emerged as such a crucial figure in the team. Dier is playing in a midfield of which the other four players are arguably all natural No 10s and yet he's just about making it work. That's a huge bonus for Hodgson and England.
Where was Vardy?
With Russia's ageing centre-backs expected to defend deep given England's attacking threat, it was perhaps understandable that Jamie Vardy did not start for Hodgson's side. However, the accepted wisdom was that if England should go a goal up then the Leicester forward possesses the ideal skill-set to punish opponents chasing the game.
That's precisely how the game panned out following Dier's opening goal, with Sterling given several chances to punish Russia on the counter-attack. Unfortunately, he wasn't clinical enough, and perhaps the same could be said of his manager. When Hodgson turned to his bench he opted for Jack Wilshere and then James Milner. These were conservative options and England paid the price for this caution.
Learn from experience
It's difficult to attribute too much individual blame for the equaliser, but with only one goal between the teams it was always a possibility. The real lesson for England is that they should have had the game won long before that point. It was a lesson for this young side that they must kill off a match when the chance is there.
The hope is that they approach this setback in the right spirit. If Hodgson's men can show some resolve in the knowledge that they are the most talented team in Group B, remaining vigilant against both Wales and Slovakia, the chance to top the table is still there. These young players are on a learning curve. They key is to learn quickly, starting on Thursday.
