Portugal, Spain and Uruguay will all be looking for wins in their middle matches
THE MATCHES
GROUP B
Portugal v Morocco
(Moscow, 1pm, RTÉ/BBC)
Betting: Portugal 8-13, Morocco 5-1, Draw 13-5
GROUP A
Uruguay v Saudi Arabia
(Rostov, 4pm, RTÉ/BBC)
Betting: Uruguay 1-7, Saudi Arabia 18-1, Draw 6-1
GROUP B
Iran v Spain
(Kazan, 7pm, RTÉ/ITV)
Betting: Iran 18-1 , Spain 1-6, Draw 6-1
ONE TO WATCH
Uruguay defender Diego Godin required surgery after being elbowed in the mouth playing for Atletico Madrid earlier this year. Photograph: Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images)
Uruguay defender Diego Godin required surgery after being elbowed in the mouth playing for Atletico Madrid earlier this year. Photograph: Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images)
Diego Godin is the very definition of a solid defender and is the rock around which Uruguay’s team is built. The same holds through at Atletico Madrid, where manager Diego Simeone’s teak-tough image is represented on the pitch by his 32-year-old centre back.
Godin’s fearless nature saw him undergo reconstructive surgery on three teeth earlier this year after being elbowed by Valencia goalkeeper Neto, with one tooth flying out of his mouth in the challenge. Simeone was disappointed his side didn’t get a penalty. Hard manager, hard player.
YOUNG GUNS
Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi has a shot at goal as Iran’s Morteza Pouraliganji attempts to block during the World Cup game in St Petersburg. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi has a shot at goal as Iran’s Morteza Pouraliganji attempts to block during the World Cup game in St Petersburg. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
Former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane described Achraf Hakimi’s debut for the club at just 18 last October as “spectacular”. Now 19, Hakimi is the very definition of a modern full back: he can play on both sides of the central defenders, is a good man marker and can also get forward, adding an aerial threat when he does so.
His options of getting forward against Portugal in the early Group B kick-off in Moscow look like they will be limited as he is likely to be up against his Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, whose hat-trick against Spain in last Friday’s exhilarating 3-3 draw. Read more