Sweden
face South Korea in the second match of Group F in the World Cup, following
Germany’s shock defeat to Mexico. The match started at 1pm BST on Monday i.e
18th June 2018. Nizhny Novgorod Stadium is packed and fans are chanting names
of their favorite teams.
Mexico’s
1-0 victory over the defending champions Germany will have infused plenty of
belief in today’s combatants that the route out of the pool just got that
little bit easier.
Although
the South Korean team started off brilliantly but undoubtedly the first half
belonged to Sweden. Both teams were goal-less at half time. South Korea started
off aggressively with Hwang Hee-chan and Tottenham winger Son Heung-min getting
into the Swedish box on couple of occasions but failed to score. The Swedish,
who started-off slowly then picked up pace, managing to pierce the South Korean
defence on multiple occasions but they too failed to score. In the dying
minutes of the first half, fans saw a brilliant header from Viktor
Claesson off the corner kick but the ball sailed over the net.
Sweden
took lead in 2nd half. Andreas Granqvist steps up to take the penalty and
calmly slots the ball into the bottom right corner, with the goalkeeper diving
the other way. Sweden showed terrific defensive play in the second half and won
the game with ease.
Belgium 3-0 Panama
Romelu Lukaku scored twice as
Belgium proved too good for World Cup debutants Panama in the opening match in
England’s Group G. After a goalless first half Belgium, ranked third in the
world, finally broke Panama’s resistance when Dries Mertens steered in a
spectacular 15-yard volley early in the second half.
Panama, 55th in the rankings, had a
chance to snatch an equaliser but Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was quick
off his line to save Michael Murillo’s shot with his legs. Manchester United
striker Lukaku made certain of the victory as he scored with a diving header
after a pass from Manchester City’s Kevin de Bruyne. Lukaku then added a third
with a chipped finish after a fine through ball from Chelsea’s Eden Hazard.
Tunisia 1-2 England
Tunisia’s winless run at the World
Cup was extended on Monday following a 2-1 defeat to England in their opening
fixture at the ongoing 2018 FIFA World Cup at the Volgograd Arena – no thanks
to a Harry Kane injury time header for his first brace in a major international
tournament. Tunisia have now failed to win their last 11 games at a World Cup
since triumphing in their first ever match against Mexico in 1978.
Ferjani Sassi stepped up to score Africa’s
first goal of the 2018 World Cup and draw Tunisia level from the spot, after
Harry Kane reacted first in the box to put the Three Lions ahead. England
dominated on the pitch as well as in the stands, and had enough chances to take
the game but were extremely wasteful in front of goal. The Tottenham Hotspur
striker left it late to hand England a winning start to their 2018 World Cup
campaign in Russia with an added time header.
Belgium top the Group with 3 points
after beating debutants Panama in the earlier Group G game while England, who
had had six shots on target in the opening period – the most in the first half
of a World Cup match since the 1966 semi-final against Portugal (also six) –
come second. Tunisia place third and will face Panama in their second game.
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