Russia were successful in neutralising the attacking threat of Cristiano Ronaldo in their win over Portugal on Friday, Russia coach Fabio Capello said.
Alexander Kerzhakov's goal separated the sides in Russia's 1-0 win, while Ronaldo was largely anonymous and far from his influential best.
"We tried to stay as close to him as possible, deal with him in two-on-ones," Capello said.
"I think it worked well for us."
On a good day, Ronaldo would have been a series threat, Capello added.
"Overall, I'm happy we didn't see the Cristiano Ronaldo we usually do, the one who can create a dangerous chance in any situation."
Portugal next play Northern Ireland on Tuesday in Lisbon, while Russia face Azerbaijan.
