Football World Cup: Unconvincing win has Spain on cusp of second round

  • 21/06/2018

A scrappy Diego Costa second-half goal has propelled Spain to a 1-0 win over courageous Iran, leaving the European heavyweights on the verge of the Football World Cup knockout phase.

Costa scored from a stroke of luck, when his 54th-minute strike rebounded off Iranian defender Ramin Rezaeian and deflected off Costa's leg, past goalkeeper Ali Beiranvand

The result left Spain joint top of their group - with Portugal - on four points, with Iran close behind on three, going into the third and final set of games.

After two defeats, Morocco are playing for pride in their final game against the Persian side.

Iran defended stoutly throughout, keeping 11 players behind the ball, but counter-attacking with pace that worried the at-times suspect Spanish defence.

Iran fought hard throughout the 90-minutes.
Iran fought hard throughout the 90-minutes. Photo credit: Reuters
Iran's Saeid Ezatolahi celebrates what he thought was Iran's equaliser.
Iran's Saeid Ezatolahi celebrates what he thought was Iran's equaliser. Photo credit: Reuters
Diego Costa's 54th-minute goal proved to be the winner.
Diego Costa's 54th-minute goal proved to be the winner. Photo credit: Reuters
Football World Cup: Unconvincing win has Spain on cusp of second round

A goal by Saeid Ezatolahi was ruled out for offside, after being reviewed by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), while Karim Ansarifard had earlier hammered into the side netting.

Spain controlled large periods of the first half, holding a 70 percent possession stake, but they could only manage one clear shot on Iran's goal.

David Silva was in the thick of the action, including a pirouette, followed by a thunderous volley over the crossbar at the end of a string of looping headers.

Silva found a rare metre of space just before the break and was denied again by a deflection off a player.

Spain hit the ground running again after halftime, with Sergio Busquets unleashing a searing long-range strike that forced Beiranvand into a brilliant double save.

Costa's goal came minutes later, leaving a mass of Iranian fans at Kazan Arena dejected, but they would have left with nothing, but pride in the gutsy performance of their side.

But all is not lost - a win over Portugal in their final group match would guarantee a spot in the second round for the first time in World Cup history.

Newshub.