Thursday June 28th

Group H

Senegal get their cards

Colombia 1 Senegal 0 (Samara)
Colombia are through to the round of 16 after a 1-0 win over Senegal who go out to Japan on the yellow-card rule. In the 17th minute Mane was through on goal, but Sanchez made a timely tackle in the box which the referee deemed to be a foul but changed his decision after help from VAR. Senegal were the better side in the first half, but Colombia got more into the game after the break and in the 74th minute Yerry Mina's downward header from a corner bounced up and into the roof of the net with Ndiaye unable to keep it out. Senegal began to push for the equaliser they needed and in the77th minute Ospina parried an angled shot from Ismaila that was headed away for a corner from which Ospina got down to prevent an own goal from a header. Senegal were unable to get the draw they needed, and the World Cup lost its last representative from Africa.

Group H

Japan rely on fair play

Poland 1 Japan 0 (Volgograd)

Poland left the World Cup with a 1-0 win over Japan that saw the Asian side through having received fewer yellow cards than Senegal. In the 13th minute Fabianski got down to keep Muto's shot out of the bottom corner while at the other end in the 33rd minute Kawashima made an even more spectacular save when he clawed a Grosicki header off the goal-line. Two minutes later a low angled shot was parried by the Polish keeper, but in the 59th minute the deadlock was broken when a free-kick was floated into the box onto the foot of Jan Bednarek who knocked it in for Poland. In the 74th minute Lewandowski connected to a pass into the box but scooped it over. Japan go through thanks to their better fair play record but perhaps their blatant time wasting towards the end of the match will cast a shadow on their reputation.

Group G

England lose momentum

Belgium 1 England 0 (Kaliningrad)

Belgium defeated England to win their group and set up a meeting with Japan in the next round. Pickford palmed away an awkward shot from Tielemans in the 6th minute and 4 minutes later Cahill cleared off the line when Batshuayi poked the ball from under Pickford. In the 50th minute Adnan Januzaj teed himself up in the box and curled the ball beautifully past Pickford into the far top corner. England came closest in the 66th minute when Rashford was clear on goal but he missed his chance and in the 89th minute Pickford dived to punch away a rasping shot from Mertens. England will face Colombia in the next round.

Group G

A matter of pride

Tunisia 2 Panama 1 (Saransk)

Tunisia came from behind to beat Panama and go home with a win under their belt. Panama celebrated taking the lead in the 33rd minute when a shot from Rodriguez took a deflection and wrong-footed the keeper, but Tunisia drew level in the 51st minute when after some quick passing the ball reached Fakhreddine Ben Youssef who knocked it past the keeper from 6 yards out. Two minutes later, Penedo saved with his foot from Ben Youssef who got into the box after the referee had played advantage following a foul outside the area. Tunisia got the winner in the 66th minute when Haddadi slipped the ball past the keeper from the edge of the 6-yard box for a Khazri tap in.