At the least two European groups can go into Monday’s fixtures with confidence after successful their opening matches: Switzerland tackle the giants of Brazil, earlier than Portugal play Uruguay.
Serbia, then again, must get off the mark within the day’s first match towards Cameroon. Each groups misplaced final week.
Cameroon v Serbia (11:00 CET)
- After failing to attain and dropping their opening video games, each Cameroon and Serbia want their strikers on track.
- A defeat knocks Serbia out if Brazil fail to win towards Switzerland within the different Group G encounter, whereas a loss would remove Cameroon if the Swiss don’t win.
- The Serbian soccer federation was charged by FIFA on Saturday for hanging a political banner about neighbouring impartial state Kosovo within the altering room earlier than the match with Brazil. Coach Dragan Stojkovic declined to remark.
- Serbian strikers Dusan Vlahovic and Aleksandar Mitrovic regarded jaded throughout the 0-2 defeat to Brazil. Stojkovic mentioned the squad arrived in Qatar with eight gamers who weren’t but totally match.
- Mitrovic has 50 targets for Serbia and his last-minute header towards Portugal in Lisbon final 12 months despatched the Serbs to Qatar.
- Cameroon have misplaced eight World Cup matches in a row, and shall be desirous to keep away from equalling Mexico’s undesirable document of 9.
Ghana v South Korea (14:00 CET)
- Ghana head into Tuesday’s match after dropping to Portugal 3-2. South Korea wish to get off the mark after a 0-0 draw towards Uruguay of their robust Group H opener.
- Ghana coach Otto Addo shall be reunited with Son Heung-min, having coached the South Korea ahead at youth degree. Addo was working for German membership Hamburg when he first encountered Son, who he really helpful for the primary workforce.
- Son has been braving a pre-World Cup harm picked up along with his membership workforce Tottenham, carrying a masks to guard a damaged left eye socket and cheered on by followers carrying Batman masks.
- South Korea are making their sixth straight World Cup look. The workforce misplaced to Turkey within the third-place match as co-hosts on the 2002 World Cup.
- On the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Ghana turned the third African nation to make it to the quarterfinals. However defeat on Monday will ship them dwelling early.
Brazil v Switzerland (16:00 CET)
- The Swiss opened their account with a 1-0 win over Cameroon on Thursday, with Monaco striker Breel Embolo, who was born in Cameroon, bagging the winner.
- Confidence is excessive within the Swiss squad, following UEFA Nations League victories over Czech Republic, Spain and Portugal within the build-up to the World Cup.
- Coach Murat Yakin lately described his squad as “one of the best Switzerland nationwide workforce that has ever existed”. Nevertheless, that declare shall be put to the check towards Brazil, ranked no1 on the planet.
- Brazilian star Neymar broken ligaments in his proper ankle within the workforce’s 2-0 opening win over Serbia and can miss the match.
- Brazil can attain the spherical of 16 with a win on Monday if Cameroon fail to defeat Serbia within the different group match.
Portugal v Uruguay (20:00 CET)
- Portugal go into Monday’s recreation figuring out victory would see them qualify for the last-16 stage with a recreation to spare, following their opening 3-2 win over Ghana.
- Cristiano Ronaldo turned the primary man to attain in 5 World Cups final Thursday, having registered the 700th membership objective of his profession earlier this season.
- However the 37-year-old doesn’t know the place he shall be enjoying past Qatar after having his Manchester United contract terminated.
- Uruguay, who drew their Group H opener 0-0 towards South Korea, beat Portugal within the final 16 within the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
- Like Portugal, the Uruguay squad blends the previous and the brand new. Up entrance, 35-year-old Luis Suarez is joined by a brand new era of expertise in Darwin Nunez and Facundo Pellistri.
What occurred on the World Cup on Sunday?
- A objective from Costa Rica’s Keysher Fuller was sufficient to safe a 1-0 victory for the Central American aspect towards Japan, who had gone into the match buoyed by their triumph towards Germany.
- Then got here a serious upset as Morocco pulled off one more World Cup shock, beautiful the world’s second-ranked workforce Belgium in a 2-0 victory.
- Croatia recovered from an early objective conceded towards Canada, Andrej Kramaric scoring twice because the European aspect ran out snug 4-1 winners.
- Germany recovered from a objective down of their make-or-break match with Spain, Niclas Füllkrug’s late strike cancelling out Alvaro Morata’s opener to earn a 1-1 draw that retains the 2014 champions within the match.
What are the important thing World Cup speaking factors thus far?
Some excessive profile groups have been humbled… Saudi Arabia beat Argentina 2-1, whereas Japan beat Germany by the identical rating. Then got here Morocco’s 2-0 humbling of Belgium.
Whereas others have shone… Spain’s children have caught the attention after their demolition of Costa Rica, whereas France are as soon as once more seen as among the many prime favourites after changing into the primary aspect to qualify for the knockout stage following two straight victories.
Pre-match protests: Iranian gamers declined to sing their nationwide anthem within the first recreation, an indication of help for the victims of the harshly repressed protests of their nation. However they have been again to singing within the second recreation after a widely known participant who did not make the squad was arrested in Tehran, sending a transparent sign to the gamers in Doha.
In the meantime, German gamers held their fingers over their mouths earlier than kick-off of their first recreation, in what was seen as a silent protest towards FIFA’s ban on workforce captains carrying anti-discrimination “One Love” armbands.
Off-pitch controversies: Seven European groups had deliberate for his or her captains to put on the armbands in a gesture of help for range and inclusion in a nation the place homosexuality — as it’s in dozens of nations — is illegitimate. However they backed down after FIFA mentioned yellow playing cards could be issued to gamers who did so. Complaints have been lodged towards the ban.
There was additional fuss when two days earlier than the match, FIFA introduced that alcohol would not be bought to followers at stadiums.
The interval within the run-up to the World Cup introduced renewed scrutiny of each FIFA — stricken by corruption allegations within the period when Sepp Blatter was in cost — and Qatar over human rights. The nation contests claims by marketing campaign teams that hundreds of migrant staff died after being employed to construct stadiums and infrastructure.
Qatar additionally denies impropriety over its World Cup bid, whereas its defenders argue that the nation has made important progress over migrants’ rights.
