Match 8
Argentina v Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia have pulled off the first major upset of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, stunning Argentina 2-1 at Lusail Stadium.
Lionel Messi got La Albiceleste off to the perfect start 10 minutes in, coolly converting from the spot after the VAR deemed Ali Al-Bulaihi had fouled Leandro Paredes inside the box.
Messi thought he had his second midway through the first half but was quickly flagged for what was the first of three goals ruled out for offside.
Lautaro Martinez was the next player to have his effort disallowed, with Saudi Arabia’s high line constantly teetering on the brink of collapse.
That all changed following the restart, however, as Saudi stunned their South American opponents with two well-taken goals inside five unforgettable minutes.
Saleh Al-Shehri’s inch-perfect strike seemed to spring new life into the Falcons and Salem Al-Dawsari’s curling effort was the icing on the cake.
Herve Renard’s men made a point of stifling the match from that point on and Argentina could not arrest their first defeat of the tournament as a result.
Match 6
Denmark v Tunisia
Denmark and Tunisia opened Group D with a rather entertaining 0-0 draw in Ar-Rayyan on Wednesday.
Buoyed by the presence of Christian Eriksen in midfield, the Danes enjoyed much of the ball in the first half but almost found themselves trailing on several occasions.
Tunisia’s fearless approach allowed for an end-to-end contest to materialise, with only the offside flag denying Issam Jebali from producing the game’s opening goal.
Jalel Kadri’s side seemed to tire in the second half and Denmark duly capitalised, growing into the game with every passing minute.
Substitute Andreas Cornelius had their best chance with 20 minutes remaining, but he could only guide Andreas Christensen’s flick-on against the post.
A late VAR check for a penalty was De Rod-Hvide’s last hope for a breakthrough but it was soon waved away by the referee, leaving both sides to share the points.
Match 7
Mexico v Poland
A combative encounter between Mexico and Poland saw the two Group C opponents draw 0-0 in their first match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The key moment of the game that will be remembered was Guillermo Ochoa’s superb save of Robert Lewandowski’s penalty in the 58 minute after Lewandowski was fouled by Héctor Moreno.
The second half was a lot more open affair than the cagey first period, but ultimately neither team could take advantage of Argentina’s shock loss to Saudi Arabia in the opening Group C fixture.
Match 5
France v Australia
Australia stunned France with Goodwin’s early strike as he thumped home a cross from Mathew Leckie, who had turned his opponent Theo Hernandez inside out on the right wing.
What followed was sustained pressure from France, as they themselves exploited the wings, cutting through Australia’s defence on a regular basis. Rabiot converted a cross to draw level with 26 minutes having been played, with Giroud then polishing off a slick move after Nathaniel Atkinson lost the ball deep in Australia’s half.
Jackson hit the post with a header late in the first half, but it was France who left more goals out on the pitch, with Giroud missing the pick of the chances when left with a moment of freedom following a deflected shot.
France dominated the second half, with their talisman Mbappe leading the way as he scored the first goal after the break from a lovely cross. Mbappe then turned provider for Olivier Giroud, finding the striker for him to power home the header from short range.
There were a few more spurned chances for the French side in the remainder of the match that could have seen the margin be even greater and it leaves Australia last in the group after the earlier draw for Tunisia and Denmark.
