World Cup 2018 Scores: Tuesday's Results and Wednesday's Schedule
Argentina reached the last 16 of the 2018 FIFA World Cup after beating Nigeria 2-1 in St. Petersburg on Tuesday. Lionel Messi and Marcos Rojo scored as La Albiceleste finished second in Group D behind Croatia, who made it three wins from three by defeating Iceland 2-1.
Croatia will face Denmark in the next round, while Argentina's meeting with France should be one of the standout ties of the last 16.
France and Denmark earlier qualified from Group C after a goalless draw in Moscow on Tuesday. Les Bleus topped the group while Denmark held onto second place as Australia were beaten 2-0 by Peru in their final group match at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi.
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Wednesday will see holders Germany bid to seal qualification from Group F after their recent dramatic win over Sweden. Die Mannschaft will face South Korea, while Sweden will be in action against group leaders Mexico.
Things are less clear in Group E, where Brazil and Switzerland are favoured to qualify, but Serbia could still upset the odds if they beat the Selecao in Moscow's Spartak Stadium.
Switzerland will be hoping a Brazil slip, combined with their own win over eliminated Costa Rica, can give them top spot.
Wednesday's Schedule
- South Korea vs. Germany, 5 p.m. local time (3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET)
- Mexico vs. Sweden, 7 p.m. local time (3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET)
- Serbia vs. Brazil, 9 p.m. local time (7 p.m. BST/2 p.m. ET)
- Switzerland vs. Costa Rica, 9 p.m. local time (7 p.m. BST/2 p.m. ET)
Nigeria 1-2 Argentina
Argentina had been waiting for Messi to produce some typical magic after two indifferent performances. He didn't let his nation down when he charged into the box to finish a landmark goal with aplomb in the 14th minute:
Messi had been played in by Ever Banega, whose introduction to the starting XI added the technique and guile 2014's beaten finalists had been missing in possession:
While Messi continued to thrive, Nigeria fought back and equalised courtesy of a Victor Moses penalty. As things stood, La Albiceleste were out, at least until unlikely hero Rojo spared their blushed with a terrific volley four minutes from the end.
Rojo had risked giving away a penalty minutes before his goal, but video replay ruled he had not committed intentional handball in the box.
The decision only adds to the feeling sluggish Argentina have been fortunate to survive the group stage.
Iceland 1-2 Croatia
Milan Badelj struck first for Croatia in a game Iceland had to win. To their credit, the UEFA Euro 2016 quarter-finalists didn't buckle and restored parity when Gylfi Sigurdsson slotted in a penalty in the 76th minute.
Had it not been for some poor finishing, Iceland would have taken the lead and probably the match. Instead, Perisic made them pay for their profligacy.
Even with qualification assured and key players rested, Croatia's approach didn't change. The Blazers stuck to the stylish, possession-based game they know, with one particular midfield pass-master excelling:
With so much composure on the ball, Croatia are going to be tough to beat and easy on the eye in the knockout rounds.
Denmark 0-0 France
With both sides needing just a a point to ensure qualification key players were rested as each team sauntered through a fairly turgid game at the Luzhniki.
The lack of attacking intent was best summed up by how little the Danes did to threaten the French goal:
France were hardly more enterprising going forward, with some believing a lack of personality is holding a talented squad back:
The second half offered little improvement from either side, as both teams appeared content with what they had.
A point was still good enough for France to nail down top spot, even if the performance didn't stop questions being raised about their big players, including star forward Antoine Griezmann:
With qualification in the bag, France can now focus on adding more pace and fluency to their game. The talent is there, but the intent has to match it.
Australia 0-2 Peru
The Socceroos' slim hopes of qualifying were ended abruptly by a spirited performance from Peru. In 50 minutes, the South American nation had two goals courtesy of Andre Carillo and skipper Paolo Guerrero.
The captain's contribution meant Peru now had a rare sporting feat in sight:
In truth, Australia had seized the initiative from the off. Yet their final ball was too often lacking in accuracy, while coach Bert van Marwijk's players appeared to lack confidence in the final third.
Such timidity left Australia to wonder what might have been. The Socceroos have been tough to beat, but the absence of star power up top has ultimately let this resilient squad down.
By contrast, it's easy to feel France have yet to play at their full capacity despite winning the group. Les Bleus have as much talent in midfield and forward areas as any of the competition's leading contenders.
Coach Didier Deschamps must find a way to coax more daring and flair from Griezmann and the other marquee names in his squad.
Meanwhile, Denmark have the resources to play within themselves and grind out results when they need to. It's a useful habit for tournament football, even if the Danes may regret not having a ruthless striker to lead the line.
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