The final round of group stage matches at the 2018 FIFA World Cup got off with a bang on Monday, and Tuesday’s action should not disappoint either.
Groups C and D will be at the forefront of the action with several teams looking to remain alive in the competition.
The top two teams in Group C will square off in Moscow with France facing Denmark. Les Bleus are already guaranteed a spot in the knockout stage but would love to finish atop of the group. Denmark could spoil the party with a win over the heavy favorites.
Australia dukes it out with already eliminated Peru hoping for some magic to go their way. The Socceroos can still advance with a win of them own, paired with a Denmark defeat. Mile Jedinak leads the way for the Australians.
Group D sees leaders Croatia needing just a point against Iceland to guarantee a first place finish. Luka Modric has been key to the Croatians success so far, while defensively the team has yet to concede. Iceland’s hopes rest on midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson who is coming off a disappointing match against Nigeria.
Argentina’s World Cup lives will come down to Tuesday’s showdown with Nigeria. Leo Messi and Co. are on the brink of elimination with just one point through their first two matches. Nigeria, who currently sit in second, will look to in-form forward Ahmed Musa who netted a brace against Iceland.
The SBI Editorial Staff will be providing live commentary on today’s matches and would like you to join the fun. Feel free to join us and comment along in the section below.
Enjoy the action.
FINAL- Argentina 2, Nigeria 1. The Rojo winner saves Argentina, which advances to the knockout rounds in dramatic fashion. WHAT a wild ending.
It’s likely curtains for Iceland as Ivan Perisic scores after they fail to play the ball from the back.
Four minutes of stoppage time in Argentina-Nigeria. Can Argentina hold on? Right now they are through to the knockout rounds IF they can hold on.
GOAL ARGENTINA!!! MARCO ROJO WITH THE 86th minute finish off an EXCELLENT Cross. Volleyed it home, 2-1 Argentina. Wow, just wow.
85th minute- Nigeria’s free kick is JUST wide. Five minutes plus stoppage time left for Argentina.
HUGE save by Armani to keep it 1-1, but Argentina commits a foul, leading to a 30-yard free kick for Nigeria.
Sergio Aguero is Argentina’s final substitute. Argentina has eight minutes left to find a winner. 1-1, 82nd minute. If this score holds, Nigeria goes through.
76th minute- Nigeria and Argentina are still 1-1 but the referee is about to check VAR on a potential handball against Argentina. The ball hit the player’s head THEN his hand, NO penalty. Good call by the referee.
Gylfi Sigurdsson, who skied a penalty in the Nigeria match, makes no such mistake this time and he levels the score at one with a perfect penalty into the roof of the net.
75th Minute- PENALTY TO ICELAND! Dejan Lovren handles in the box and the referee points to the spot giving the Vikings some life.
Close call for Iceland in the 55th minute. Lovre Kalinic barely gets a fingertip to a header to knock the attempt over the bar.
GOAL Nigeria! Victor Moses converts the penalty kick after Javier Mascherano was called for a hold in the penalty area. 1-1. Nigeria goes through with this result.
Disaster for Iceland. Moments after Nigeria equalizes in Saint Petersburg, Milan Badelj gets Croatia on the board by making a well time run into the box and bouncing a shot into the back of the net.
HALFTIME- Argentina 1, Nigeria 0. Messi’s wonder strike is the difference. This is much closer to the Argentina most expected before the tournament, miles better than the team that lost to Croatia and tied Iceland. Nigeria looked comfortable playing for a draw before the goal, and have struggled to get a real footing since.
Stoppage Time- Gunnarson with a shot that barely gets tipped over the bar and the ensuing corner before the half time whistle is mostly harmless.
The first half of Croatia-Iceland was a cagey affair at the beginning, but after word came to Rostov that Argentina had scored, the VIkings began to show some more desperation. All of their shots came after the 28th minute when they began to retain more possession and essentially control the flow of the match. Expect the second 45 minutes to continue to open up as Iceland searches for the goal that would put them through to the knockout rounds.
40th Minute- Finnbogason comes close for Iceland! He gets the ball at the top of the box and launches a low shot inches wide of the near post.
33rd minute- Messi sends a free kick off the right post. Didn’t miss that one by much. 1-0 Argentina still.
Still not much happening in Iceland-Croatia. Iceland on the front foot for the last ten minutes or so, but they haven’t exactly created much in the way of chances.
28th minute- Higuain forces a save from the Nigeria goalkeeper, and the ensuing collision has the Nigerian goalkeeper down and receiving treatment. He’s up now. Still 1-0 Argentina
20th minute- Still no score between Croatia and Iceland. Iceland not showing great urgency here early on. There’s more pressure on them now that Argentina has scored.
GOAL ARGENTINA!! Lionel Messi with the opener, scores a beauty off a BEAUTIFUL long pass from Ever Banega. 1-0 Argentina, 15th minute
8th minute- Croatia and Iceland are at 0-0. Croatia is resting some starters, including Ivan Rakitic and Mario Mandzukic, though Luka Madrid is playing.
5th minute- Argentina with the early possession. Nigeria can get through with a draw and are sitting back for now. Argentina need a win today.
GROUP D action underway, with Argentina facing Nigeria and Iceland taking on Croatia. The Croatians are already through, but the other three teams all have hopes of joining them in the knockout rounds.
83rd minute – Save for Schmeichel. Been a BORING second half. Both teams know they’re in and they’ve played like it the last 10 or so minutes. Fans in attendance getting restless.
france is a mystery to me. big, strong, athletic bodies. very good soccer feet. but always stuck in second gear. where is the passion? where is the urge to go forward, to score?
if another team had their physical tools, they would have scored several times by now.
if you grew up in the usa watching michael jordan putting on his show week after week then you can’t understand this idea of passing the ball backwards. michael Jordan didn’t need to pass the ball backwards. because he he KNEW in his mind, “i’m gonna beat you!” “i could over you. i could go around you. i just might go through you. but i’m gonna beat you!” and he would, nearly every time. where is that in this france team? who Playing for france wants to win?
73rd minute- Peru still leading 2-0. Australia still pushing for the breakthrough, but Peru looks pretty comfortable right now.
59th minute- Chance for Eriksen but he pulls his shot just wide of the post.
57th minute- Tim Cahill has entered for Australia. The World Cup veteran makes his final World Cup appearance. Does he have another goal in his bag?
GOAL PERU!! Paolo Guerrero makes it 2-0, latching on to a deflected Christian Cueva pass and making no mistake on the finish. 52nd minute.
50th minute – France with the typical early second half fullback substitution as Mendy replaces Hernandez. A better attacker so we’ll see.
Second half underway.
HALFTIME: Scoreless between France and Denmark. France the better team so far, but just no real end product.
39th minute – Shot from Griezmann, but it’s right at Schmeichel. Still scoreless.
34th minute – Good look for Lemar, who curls a long-distance effort just wide. France yet to truly test Schmeichel.
SAVE GALLESE! Peru’s goalkeeper comes up with a BIG save as Australia had their best chance of the game so far. Still 1-0 Peru, 28th minute.
23rd minute- France bossing possession, but not really doing much with it. Just two shots, both off target.
GOAL PERU!! Andre Carillo blasts one from distance, gave the Australia goalkeeper NO chance. That’s Peru’s first World Cup goal in 36 years. 18th minute.
15th minute- Australian captain Mile Jedinak picked up an early yellow card. Could that come back to haunt the Aussies? Early on, Australia is controlling the play and Peru is sitting back, looking nothing like they did in their first two World Cup matches.
10th minute- Australia and Peru are goal-less. Australia still has hopes of getting to the knockout round, while Peru is trying to score its first goal of the tournament, and first World Cup win in more three decades.
Solid enough start for France, who are moving the ball decently to start.