England looked on course to record an opening Group B win courtesy of an Eric Dier free kick but Russia, after being outplayed for most of the game, snatched an equaliser in the 92nd minute.

A superb first half performance from England ended scoreless as Adam Lallana, Wayne Rooney, Chris Smalling all brought fine saves out of the Russian keeper Igor Akinfeev.

Russia struggled to get out of their own half such was the pressure and pressing from England, the only thing missing was a goal. Russia have only kept two clean sheets in their last 15 games at European Championship finals and they had to ride their luck to keep the scoresheet blank here in Marseille.

Admittedly the Russian's had a host of injuries robbing them of their more accomplished players but the danger was the after the break they would surely improve and England might regret not making their dominance count.

The nearest England's opponents came to a goal was from the Three Lions Achilles heel, the set piece. Sergei Ignashevich got his head to free-kick but fortunately it was straight at Joe Hart.

The half-time talk had an effect on the Russians who came out with more purpose and whilst England looked to recapture their earlier form, now it was more intermittent as their opponents began causing their own problems by going long and Fedor Smolov curled an effort narrowly wide of Hart's goal.

But it was Rooney who came nearest but a fantastic save from Akinfeev who diverted the ball onto the crossbar kept the scoreline blank. But the deserved breakthrough came moments later on 73 minutes when Eric Dier blasted home a free kick.

But there was to be a sting in the tale as deep into added time Vasili Berezutski headed the leveler to deny England their first ever opening game win the European Championships and to open the debate about whilst impressive going forward Roy Hodgson's men are vulnerable at the back.

Euro2016 - Group B

England: 1 (Dier 73)

Russia: 1 (Berezutski 92)

Stade Vélodrome, Marseille