Portugal advance into knock-outs with a draw as Iran fail to create history

Iran failed to create history as Portugal manage a draw and go into the knock-out stage after claiming the second spot in Group B

Match report: The Group B encouter ended with a heart-breaking moment for Iran as they fail to secure a win against Portugal, who somehow squeezed out a draw and a highly-contested spot into the knock-outs. The Asian side were on the brink of winning the match in the dying moments but an effort by Taremi hit the side net from close range after they leveled the scores from the spot at the 93rd minute. The penalty saw Iran come back into the game but failed to create history as Portugal go into the knock-outs from group B, along with Spain.

Portugal controlled maximum possession but Iran was able to make a series of counter-attacks in the game. Ricardo Quaresma's beautiful first-half strike was canceled out by a penalty awarded by VAR and converted by Karim Ansarifard - but it was not enough for Iran as Portugal progress from Group B to the knockout rounds. The substitute's late goal meant Fernando Santos' men will go into the Gorup of 16 with a second place as Spain tie 2-2 with Morocco. Cristiano Ronaldo & Co will face an upbeat Uruguay in their round of 16 at Sochi on June 30.

Ricardo Quaresma curled in a trademark trivela goal on the stroke of half-time that gave Portugal the much needed lead at the Mordovia Arena, but Karim Ansarifard's late penalty dropped Portugal to second in Group B behind neighbours Spain.

Ronaldo won a second-half spot-kick after a video review but saw his effort saved, with the Real Madrid star unable to add to his four-goal tally at the tournament.

"I think we did very well, we have achieved our goal and now we have to recover and think about the next match," said Quaresma.

"We know the difficulties we'll face, they're a big team with very good players." Fernando Santos will hope Joao Moutinho recovers after the Monaco midfielder was restricted to a late substitute appearance in Saransk because of illness, with Quaresma one of three changes to the team that defeated Morocco 1-0.

Ronaldo, scorer of all four Portugal goals in his country's first two games, forced Iran goalkeeper Ali Beiranvand into an early save after barging his way into the box dangerously. Joao Mario got another chance of putting Portugal in front after a defensive mix-up between Saeid Ezatolahi and Beiranvand, but the Inter Milan midfielder's shot went over the bar.

Iran's first genuine sight of goal came on the 34th minute when Ezatolahi directed a firm header from a free-kick straight into the waiting hands of Rui Patricio.

Quaresma fired Portugal ahead just before the interval when he exchanged passes with Adrien Silva before bending home in style from the edge of the box with the outside of his right foot.

Ronaldo had the chance to double the lead five minutes into the second half after he was brought down by Ezatolahi inside the box which reuslted into a VAR-consulted spot-kick but the Portugal captain was denied by Beiranvand who dived to his left to smother Ronaldo's attempt.

Iran coach Carlos Queiroz remonstrated angrily with the officials as Saman Ghoddos appeared to be impeded by William Carvalho inside the penalty area. There was no VAR intervention on that occasion, but referee Enrique Caceres trotted over to the pitchside monitor after an altercation between Ronaldo and Morteza Pouraliganji. Ronaldo was caught hitting the Iran defender with a forearm across the face as Pouraliganji fell to the ground in a heap, the Portugal forward ultimately escaped with a yellow card.

Iran earned a stoppage-time penalty, again with the help of VAR, when Sardar Azmoun's header struck the arm of Cedric after the pair contested a deep cross. Substitute Ansarifard buried his effort into the roof of the net to set up a dramatic finish.

Mehdi Taremi could have snatched a stunning winner after a deflected shot rolled into his path, but he fired into the side netting as Iran fell agonisingly short of a ticket to the knock-outs.
 

Here are the Live updates:

Min 90+7: Cedric sees yellow card after the final whistle for unsportsman-like behaviour.

Final Whistle -- It's all over for Iran.

Min 90+6: Change for Portugal. Goncalo Guedes come in for Andre Silva

Min 90+4: Iran gets a genuine chance from a close range but Taremi hits the side net.

Min 90+3: Iran get Penalty. Karim scores it!

Min 90+1:Play is stopped after a potential handball by Cedric. VAR is checking it.

Min 82: Ronaldo is booked with a yellow card by referee.

Min 80: Play is stopped as VAR is checking for a potential foul by Cristiano Ronaldo 

Min 76: Another change for Iran. Karim (in) comes off the bench to replace S. Ezatolahi (out)

Min 70: Change for Iran. Ghoddos (in) comes off the bench to replace A. Jahanbakhsh (out)
             Change for Portugal. Bernardo (in) comes off the bench to replace Quaresma (out)

Min 64: Ricardo Quaresma gets a yellow card after a nasty foul on Ezatolahi.

Min 57: Pepe makes a sliding tackle to stop Jahanbakhsh's cross in, putting it out for Iran's first corner.

Min 56: Change for Iran. M. Mohammadi (in) comes off the bench to replace Haji Safi (out)

Min 55: Penalty shout from Azmoun! He gets bundled to ground by Fonte in the Portugal box, referee calls it off.

Min 54: Another yellow card for S. Azmoun of Iran

Min 52: Ronaldo takes the penalty but Beiranvand saves it. WHAT A SAVE!!!

Min 51:VAR points it to the spot after a foul on Ronaldo! Yellow card for E Hajsafi

Second-half starts!!!

Half-time report:Iran managed to frustrate Ronaldo and Co till the dying moments of the first-half but one fine moment by the super-talented Ricardo Quaresma gave the Portugese the much needed goal against the stubborn Asians. The beautiful goal is the only difference between the two teams as Iran are going all-out in order to secure a spot in the Group of 16. Although, Potugal look a different side in this match as they controlled 71 per cent possession but struggled to open the deadlock for a good 45 minutes of the first half while Iran looked dangerous with the counter attacks and almost managed to score in few instances. Rui Patricio made a few crucial saves to keep the sheet clean and Iran need to continue their counter-attacks if they want a positive result from the match.

With Spain and Morocco tied at 1-1 at half-time in Kaliningrad, Portugal are currently in the driving seat in Group B as it stands. If it remains so, they will set up a tie with tournament hosts Russia while their neighbours will have to face a resurgent Uruguay in the knock-out stage.  

Trivia: Ricardo Quaresma became the oldest player to score on his first World Cup start (34 years, 272 days) since Yahya Golmohammadi for Iran against Mexico in 2006 (35 years, 84 days)

Min 45: Goal!!!! Quaresma scores a beautiful goal from the edge of the box with a fine finish from the outside of his right foot. Beiranvand could do nothing about it. Breathtaking finish!

Min 40: Ronaldo makes a 35-yard effort but puts it straight to Beiranvand who stops it easily enough.

Min 38: Iran slowly getting the hold of the game, producing more attacks into the Portugal half but the attacks are dying off in the final-third.

Min 35: Ezatolahi lands a header on the resulting free-kick, curled in neatly - but the ball is safe in Rui Patricio's hand.

Min 34: Raphael gets a yellow card after tackling an advancing Iranian winger. Iran get a free-kick on the edge of the Portugal box. 

Min 29: Iran putting up a good fight against Portugal as the Asian side continue to frustrate Ronaldo & Co 

Min 23: Jahanbakhsh follows down a throughball from Azmoun and nearly beats Patricio to it, but the keeper sweeps it away on time from the approaching winger.

Min 17: Match is being played but in Iran's half. Looks like Portugal is just a shot away from the net. But that last shot never comes. 

Min 15: Ronaldo is on the free kick. Ronaldo hits the wall. Ronaldo appeals for a handball. Portugal gets a corner. Nothing comes off it.  

Min 12: Portugal is making more chances but without that golden touch to net the goal. One more mistake by Iranian goalkeeper. He totally misjudged the cross. And again he escapes somehow. 

Min 9:  Ronaldo gives a  lovely cross from the left that after a mix-up between Iranian keeper Beiranvand and Ezatolahi. The two Iran players bicker among themselves after communication breakdown.

Min 5: Iran is finally getting the composure. The energy of both the teams is so overwhelmingly infectious. 

Min 3: Ronaldo gets the first chance of the game. Hits the ball hard and low but directly into the hands of the goalkeeper  Beiranvand at the near-left post. 

Min 1: Portugal gets the game going.  

Players are out of the tunnel. Anthems playing out. 

Iran: Beiranvand, Rezaeian, Hosseini, Pouraliganji, Hajsafi, Taremi, Jahanbakhsh, Ezatolahi, Ebrahimi, Amiri, Azmoun.

Subs: Mazaheri, Torabi, Mohammadi, Shojaei, Ansarifard, Khanzadeh, Ghoddos, Montazeri, Ghoochannejhad, Dejagah, Abedzadeh. 

Portugal: Rui Patricio, Cedric, Pepe, Fonte, Guerreiro, Quaresma, William Carvalho, Adrien Silva, Joao Mario, Andre Silva, Ronaldo.

Subs: Beto, Bruno Alves, Fernandes, Joao Moutinho, Bernardo Silva, Dias, Ricardo Pereira, Bruno Fernandes, Goncalo Guedes, Gelson Martins, Mario Rui, Lopes. 

Referee: Enrique Caceres (Paraguay).

Line-ups out: 

Portugal vs Iran Line-up

Match Preview: So far, Portugal's all four goals in the tournament have come through Ronaldo and the Europeans will once again rely heavily on the talismanic striker if they want to make it to the second round.

Both the sides need a win on Monday to enter the Round of 16 and a loss for any of them could make life difficult.

With a win from two games, Portugal are placed second in the group with four points while Iran, who pipped Morocco 1-0 before falling against Spain, lie at the third place with three points.

Fernando Santos's side has till now appeared to be a one-man team with Ronaldo doing the most for his side on both occasions.

In 26 matches competitive matches since Santos took over in September 2014, Portugal have won 20 and lost twice, with one of those being a penalty shootout defeat by Chile in the 2017 Confederations Cup. Of those 20 wins, 10 have been by a single goal and most of the others were against weaker opponents.

In their last game against Morocco, Ronaldo was the only difference between the two teams. The Real Madrid star scored the only goal of the match in the fourth minute but Morocco did well to match the reigning European champions blow for blow throughout the encounter.

The north Africans were well organised in defence and midfield with the experienced Nordin Amrabat repeatedly troubling the Portugal defenders with his runs down the right wing.

The 'Atlas Lions' in fact dominated the second half as they went all out for the elusive equaliser. But a lack of quality in their final passes and some excellent defending by Portugal prevented them from scoring.

Even if they manage to enter the second round, the rest of the Portugal players must do better otherwise simply depending on Ronaldo will not carry them too far.

Before their last group game, Portugal defender Ruben Dias felt there is some anxiety in camp as they look to live up to expectations in the tournament as European champions.

"Anxiety exists because it's a World Cup and we are European champions and we want to get through the group and go as far as possible," Dias told mediapersons.

Dias, however, said that despite a slow start in this year's World Cup, his side could improve further as the tournament progresses.

"Sometimes, things aren't so good at the start and you start improving during the competition and gaining in confidence."

"This is natural…You start gaining confidence naturally," he added.

On the other side, Iran, Asia's number one team, benefited from a late own goal by Morocco to get their World Cup off to a winning start in Saint Petersburg before losing 0-1 to Spain in a hard-fought battle.

On Monday, Portugal's players will meet a familiar face in the opposition technical area in Iran coach and compatriot Carlos Queiroz, who coached the side from 2008 to the South Africa World Cup in 2010.

The stability and pragmatism of Queiroz's seven-year reign, which will come to an end after the tournament with the Portuguese deciding to quit, has firmly established Iran as Asia's number one team.

Iran benefited from a late own goal by Morocco to get their World Cup off to a winning start in St. Petersburg but then lost 1-0 to Spain in a hard-fought match in Kazan.

On Monday, Iran will expect young striker Sardar Azmoun to fire and secure the Asian side a pre-quarter berth for the first time in their World Cup history.

Iran coach Carlos Queiroz has already declared the match against Portugal as the most interesting and important match.

"We go for it, with great belief and great determination to try to win the game," Queiroz said.

"When we arrived, no-one gave us a chance, but we still fight for our dreams," he added.

Iran have so far been impressive in defence and their defenders will have to once again come out with spirit to restrict Ronaldo from scoring.

Overall, a draw for Portugal will be enough to lift them to the next round while Iran need nothing less than a win to secure a pre-qualifier berth.

Iran vs Portugal: Watch out for

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored Portugal's all-four goals in the World Cup so far and the European Champions will be heavily dependent on the talismanic forward. 

Ronaldo's hat-trick in the 3-3 draw against Spain gave Portugal a vital point while an early headed strike, which made him Europe's all-time top international goal scorer, against Morocco proved enough to bring home three points.

Key stats:

Spain, who take on already ousted Morocco, and Portugal are on four points and need a draw from their respective matches. But Iran are a point behind with three and must beat Portugal to progress.

The European sides will not only aim for victory but will also try to outscore each other with the top spot in the group set to be decided on goal difference.

Iran’s Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz was in charge of Spanish giants Real Madrid for the 2003-04 season. He also managed Portugal for more than two years from 2008, including the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Team Melli striker Sardar Azmoun has played his club football in Russia since 2013 and last year rejoined Rubin Kazan for a second spell.

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored all of Portugal’s goals in this tournament including a hat-trick in the 3-3 draw against Spain. His goal against Morocco made him Europe’s all-time leading scorer in international matches. Former Iran striker Ali Daei is the only one ahead in the world with 109 strikes.

The two sides have met twice, with Portugal winning both. The most recent fixture was in the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany where Deco and Ronaldo scored for Portugal.

Iran vs Portugal: When and where to watch for free

Time: 11:30 PM (IST)

In today's Group B match, Iran vs Portugal match will take place in Saransk on Monday, June 25, 2018, at 11:30 PM (IST).

Iran vs Portugal match will be broadcast on Sony Ten 2, Sony Ten 2 HD, Sony ESPN, Sony ESPN HD in English Commentary and Sony Ten 3 and Sony 3 HD in Hindi Commentary.

Iran vs Portugal matches will be available for live streaming on Sony Liv also. And Both Airtel and Jio would broadcast the FIFA World Cup 2018 matches for free to their respective subscribers.

Iran vs Portugal