Friday June 15th

Group A

Pharaohs fall to late goal

Uruguay 1 Egypt 0 (Ekaterinburg)
Uruguay left it late to wake up and claim 3 points against Egypt who were without their talisman Mohamed Salah. In the 24th minute Suarez miskicked the ball into the side netting from inside the 6-yard box and a minute into the 2nd half, with only the keeper to beat, saw his effort averted by the keeper's knee. Suarez took his time and failed to get past El Shenawy in the Egypt goal in the 73rd minute and in the 83rd minute Cavani's fierce volley from just outside the box was superbly kept out by the Egyptian custodian. Egypt had some spells of pressure, but in the 88th minute Canavi struck the post from a free kick and just before full time Jose Maria Gimenez rose highest to break Egyptian hearts with a piercing header.

Group B

Moroccan misery

Iran 1 Morocco 0 (Saint Petersburg)

An own goal in stoppage time gave Iran the edge over Morocco in Saint Petersburg. The Iranians, who survived a scramble in front of goal in the 19th minute, had an excellent chance to score when Azmoun was free on goal but failed to shoot past Munir who got an arm to the rebound from Jahanbakhsh. Beiranvand was at full stretch in the 80th minute to turn a crisp Ziyech volley from the edge of the area around the post and keep the match goalless, but deep into stoppage time Morocco gave away a needles freekick down the left flank which was floated into the box for Bouhaddouz to put past his keeper with a diving header and send the Iranians into delirium.

Group B

Ronaldo stars in Iberian thriller

Portugal 3 Spain 3 (Sochi)

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick to foil a Spanish comeback as Portugal draw 3-3 with their neighbours in Sochi. After only 3 minutes Ronaldo went down in the box, picked himself up and sent de Gea the wrong way from the spot, but in the 24th minute Spain equalised when Diego Costa showed strength and skill to bring a long ball down outside the box elude the Portuguese defenders in the box and finish with aplomb. Two minutes later Isco's thunderous shot came off the underside of the bar, but at the other end with a minute of the half left Ronaldo's shot was spilled into the net by de Gea and Portugal went into the break leading. In the 55th minute a freekick crossed into the area was headed down by Busquets and forced over the line by Costa. Three minutes later Spain went 3-2 up when a Nacho screamer went in off the base of the post, but in the 88th minute Ronaldo completed his hat-trick with a stunning freekick to level the score.