The first round of the group stage of the ongoing football world cup event concluded on Thursday, with some unexpected results. The host team, Qatar, became the first team out of the tournament after conceding two back-to-back defeats. On Saturday, four crucial matches will take place, with the biggest fixture being top-favourite Argentina's clash against Mexico. Let’s have a look at the group-phase matches that will take place on Qatar World Cup Day 7.
Group C
The two matches in Group C that will be held today are Saudi Arabia vs Poland at 7 p.m. (BST) and Argentina vs Mexico at 1 a.m. Sunday (BST).
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Saudi Arabia vs Poland
After a surprising 2-1 victory over Argentina, the Asian giant Saudi Arabia are one of the most talked-about teams in this World Cup. They have a genuine chance to advance to the Round of 16 if they win any of their remaining two group phase matches against Poland or Mexico. With the confidence they have right now, the Saudi side can feel that they have a strong chance to make it to the next round.
Poland, on the other hand, should target this match to earn all three points, as they can’t settle for another draw. The Polish team will top the group if they beat Saudi Arabia in this contest. All eyes will be on Robert Lewandowski, who missed a penalty in their opening match against Mexico.
Argentina vs Mexico
It’s a do-or-die contest for two-time champions Argentina after their shocking defeat to Saudi Arabia last week. Argentina will be out of the tournament at the group stage if they fail to win the match against Mexico, which will be hugely embarrassing for them. Coach Lionel Scaloni is mapping out an effective strategy that would see his side display a dominant performance against the Mexican team, something that was missing in the first match.
For Mexico, this is a very crucial game as well. They are very much aware that Argentina will attempt to boss the contest, so getting all three points will be tough for them. The Mexican side will be hoping for at least a draw. Anything is possible if they can unsettle Argentina with a plan that they don't anticipate.
Group D
The two Group D fixtures that will be held today are: Tunisia vs Australia at 4 p.m. (BST) and France vs Denmark at 10 p.m. (BST).
Tunisia vs Australia
Tunisia can feel confident that they will advance to the Round of 16 after holding Denmark to a 0-0 draw in their first match.Tunisia will go for everything to beat Australia in this match to make sure they are very much in the race for the top two finishes.
Australia, on the other hand, will be out of the competition if they lose against Tunisia. They lost 4-1 against France after taking an early lead. This may disrupt their confidence a bit. But the Australian side has the ability to shock big teams, and this match against Tunisia will be a tough battle to watch.
France vs Denmark
Two strong favourites from this group are France and Denmark. The reigning champions started their campaign very well by beating Australia 4-1. Denmark, on the other hand, struggled against Tunisia and now face pressure when they play France today. Denmark will be hoping to snatch at least a point from this fixture if they fail to overcome the 2018 Champions.
On the other hand, France will secure their place in the Round of 16 if they win the match against Denmark. French coach Didier Deschamps won’t surely leave it to their final fixture of the group phase against Tunisia. He will expect a dominant performance from his side against the Danish team to get all three points.
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Aftermath
The four matches on Day 7 of the Qatar World Cup are very important in the race to qualify for the Round of 16. Argentina, one of the most popular football teams in the world, would be eliminated from the competition if they suffered two consecutive defeats, which would be a major upset in this year's event. Besides, France and Saudi Arabia have a chance to make it to the knockout phase. Overall, Saturday's FIFA World Cup 2022 group stage matches should be exciting to watch.