Argentina beat Poland 2-0 to win Group C on Wednesday, moving on to the World Cup knockout rounds despite Lionel Messi’s missed penalty in the opening period at Stadium 974.
After winning, Argentina advanced to the top of the group and will now play Australia, while Poland will play the defending champions, France.
One minute into the second half, Argentina seized the lead when Alexis Mac Allister connected with a cross from Nahuel Molina and, although making just marginal touch with the ball, his effort cleared the goal line and beat Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.
Argentina, who had controlled possession and hardly managed to move Poland out of their half, deservedly received the goal.
After a careful buildup in which Argentina passed the ball about, Julian Alvarez found space in the box and slammed the ball into the top corner after Enzo Fernandez had successfully penetrated the defence.
When Argentina was given a contentious penalty earlier in the match following a VAR review for a foul on Messi, when Szczesny’s hand accidentally touched his face as the Paris St. Germain striker raised for a header at the far post, Poland was outraged.
But Szczesny was up to the job, and despite the roar of thousands of Argentina supporters inside the stadium, he maintained his cool and made the right judgment, diving to his left and using one hand to save Messi’s attempt from the penalty spot.
Saudi Arabia 0 – Mexico 2
Mexico defeated Saudi Arabia 2-1 on Wednesday but was denied a spot in the round of 16 due to goal differential after scoring twice in five second-half minutes.
Henry Martin and Luis Chavez’s goals soon after the break put Mexico back in the game, but Mohamed Al-Owais of Saudi Arabia’s goalkeeping staff made a succession of outstanding saves and two attempts were disallowed to deny the South Americans the elusive
the goal they needed to progress.
It appeared for a brief moment that Mexico would lose to Group C opponents Poland due to having more yellow cards, but Saudi attacker Salem Al-Dawsari scored in stoppage time to make goal differential the deciding factor.
Mexico’s elimination put an end to a run of seven straight World Cup last-16 appearances, while Saudi Arabia’s loss terminated what had appeared to be a serious possibility of making it out of the group stages for the first time in 28 years.
Mexico’s prospects of advancing had seemed bleak coming into the match, depending on the result of the encounter between Argentina and Poland. They had failed to score in their first two Group C meetings.
Mexico, who desperately needed to increase their goal differential, attacked Saudi Arabia from the get-go and never let up, pelting the goal with long-range shots to seize control of their own destiny.
Denmark 0; Australia 1
Thanks to a superb solo goal by Mathew Leckie, Australia defeated Denmark 1-0 on Wednesday to go to the World Cup knockout round for the first time in 16 years.
Leckie surged into space, caught defender Joakim Maehle off guard, and shot low past goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel in the 60th minute to sting Denmark on a counterattack at the Al Janoub Stadium.
In a desperate attempt to score the goals his team has been lacking in Qatar, Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand called on all the attacking weaponry he could manage.
Australia managed to hold on, though, and finished second in Group D, ahead of Tunisia, who had been leading France 1-0 in the previous game on Wednesday.
Denmark received one point and came in last.
France lost against Tunisia, 1.
At the Education City Stadium on Wednesday, Tunisia stunned World Cup champions France 1-0 thanks to a goal by French-born Wahbi Khazri. However, despite the shocking victory, Tunisia did not advance to the tournament’s round of 16.
For Tunisia’s third victory in six World Cup competitions, Khazri guided a winning goal home in the 58th minute amidst a mass of defenders, but they were still eliminated.
France, who made nine changes from the side that defeated Denmark and had already qualified for the knockout rounds, won Group D on goal differential over second-place Australia.
Reuters
