Gazinsky rose to head the host nation into the lead on 12 minutes from an Aleksandr Golovin cross. Moments before, Alan Dzagoev had forced a corner from the first real chance of the match.
The tall, blonde-haired 28-year-old plays his club football for FC Krasnodar and was perhaps a surprise selection for many in manager Stanislav Cherchesov’s 23-man squad having only won a handful of caps before the tournament.
Gazinsky made his seventh appearance for Russia against the Saudis and it looks like he will make at least a handful more on his performance in the World Cup opener.