Video: From Ronaldo's hat-trick to Coutinho's curler

12 matches, 26 goals, three free-kicks, three own-goals and some smashing strikes.

Published : Jun 18, 2018 16:53 IST

Cristiano Ronaldo's hat-trick helped Portugal hold Spain
Cristiano Ronaldo's hat-trick helped Portugal hold Spain
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Cristiano Ronaldo's hat-trick helped Portugal hold Spain

The early days of the 2018 FIFA World Cup has thrown up some unexpected results. Big teams have encountered starting trouble against the less fancied nations, for instance defending champion Germany lost 0-1 to Mexico. Twice winners Argentina was held to a 1-1 draw by the debutant Iceland, the smallest nation at the tournament.

Host Russia got the ball rolling with an emphatic 5-0 thumping win over Saudi Arabia. The goals have followed since. Here is a look at all the 26 goals scored so far.

 

Russia vs Saudi Arabia 5-0

Yury Gazinsky 12'

Golovin kept a cleared corner alive and delivered a floated cross to the back post, with Gazinskiy exploiting slack Saudi marking to plant a firm header past Abdullah Al-Mayoof.

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Denis Cheryshev 43'

After a fine team move, Roman Zobnin slipped the ball to former Real Madrid winger Cheryshev, who evaded a pair of poor challenges in the box before slamming an unstoppable finish into the roof of the net.

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Artem Dzyuba 71'

Golovin was the creator again, producing a lovely centre from the right that allowed Dzyuba to nod in within two minutes of his introduction.

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Denis Cheryshev 90+1'

Cheryshev hit an early contender for goal of the tournament with a brilliant strike that gave helpless Al-Mayoof no chance.

Aleksandr Golovin 90+3'

Golovin added to his two assists with a curling free-kick over the wall with Al-Mayoof beaten yet again.

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Egypt vs Uruguay 0-1

Jose Gimenez 89'

Gimenez rose highest to meet a set-piece and bury a header past El-Shenawy, who was in fine form making several last-ditch saves.

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Morocco vs Iran 0-1

Aziz Bouhaddouz (OG) 90+5'

The Moroccan striker put Iran's Ehsan Haji Safi's free-kick through his own net with a diving header in the 95th minute of the game, leaving no time for a comeback.

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Portugal vs Spain 3-3

Cristiano Ronaldo 4'

Ronaldo earned an early penalty by drawing a foul of Nacho Fernandes before smalling the penalty past David de Gea.

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Diego Costa 24'

Costa bullied Pepe in the air, then twisted and turned away from two Portugal defenders to rifle home the equaliser.

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Cristiano Ronaldo 44'

Ronaldo collected possession on the edge of the area and drilled a low left-footed drive at De Gea, the goalkeeper somehow allowed the ball to slip through his grasp.

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Diego Costa 55'

Silva's free-kick to the back post was headed back across goal by Sergio Busquets, with Costa timing his run into the box to nudge home.

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Nacho Fernandes 58'

A Portugal clearance rebounded kindly to the Madrid defender, who hit a first-time drive that curled beautifully out of Rui Patricio's reach, via a double bounce off the woodwork.

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Cristiano Ronaldo 88'

Ronaldo delivered with a trademark curler that bent over and away from the wall to score his first-free-kick goal in 45 previous efforts in World Cups and European Championships.

 

 

France vs Australia 2-1

Antoine Griezmann 58'

Josh Risdon had appeared to get away with his tackle on the marauding striker, but after a consultation with VAR the referee spotted an illegal clip on the Atletico striker's heel and awarded a spot-kick, which he coolly converted.

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Mile Jedinak 62'

Samuel Umtiti's bizarre decision to handle Aaron Mooy's free-kick allowed Jedinak to stroke past Hugo Lloris.

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Aziz Behich (OG) 80'

Pogba sent a stabbed effort towards goal from the edge of the area which was cruelly diverted past Ryan by Aziz Behich.

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Argentina vs Iceland 1-1

Sergio Aguero 19'

Aguero seized on team-mate Marcos Rojo's wayward shot, controlling the off-target effort inside the penalty area before sending a fierce shot into the net.

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Alfred Finnbogason 23'

Finnbogason knocked home a rebound after Caballero had carelessly parried a low cross straight to the Augsburg forward.

 

 

Peru vs Denmark 0-1

Yussuf Poulsen 59'

Eriksen ran through the middle and fed Poulsen, who slotted the ball low to the left of Peru goalkeeper Pedro Gallese.

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Croatia vs Nigera 2-0

Oghenekaro Etebo (OG) 32'

Perisic and Mandzukic both got a touch on a right-wing Modric corner but the crucial contact came at the back post from Etebo, who could only divert the ball past teenage goalkeeper Francis Uzoho.

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Luka Modric 71'

Troost-Ekong was penalised for holding Mandzukic in the penalty area, before Modric sent Uzoho the wrong way from 12 yards for his first World Cup goal.

 

 

Costa Rica 0-1 Serbia

Aleksandar Kolarov 56'

Navas could do nothing to prevent Kolarov's stunning opener, though - Kolarov showing his set-piece proficiency with a venomous, dipping strike that flew in the top-right corner.

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Germany 0-1 Mexico

Hirving Lozano 35'

The PSV forward then cut inside the wafer-thin resistance offered by the back-tracking Mesut Ozil to crash a shot inside Neuer's right post.

 

 

Brazil 1-1 Switzerland

Philippe Coutinho 20'

Marcelo's cross from the left bounced back out of the box to the feet of Coutinho, who took a touch to control it before unleashing a shot that curled spectacularly around helpless goalkeeper Yann Sommer and in off the post.

 

Steven Zuber 50'

A corner from Shaqiri found Zuber unmarked on the edge of the six-yard box and he had the simple task of heading the ball beyond Alisson and high into the centre of the goal.

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Sweden 1-0 Korea Republic

Andreas Granqvist 65'

A surprising choice to take the spot-kick, Granqvist coolly slotted into the bottom corner after VAR declared Viktor Claesson to have been hacked down by Kim Min-woo.

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Video courtesy: FIFA TV

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