England, Sweden and Belgium kick off FIFA World Cup campaigns with wins

June 19, 2018

Relive all of the action from a stunning day at the Football World Cup in Russia, with England, Belgium and Sweden all claiming wins in their opening matches:

8:13am

So, Belgium top Group G on goal difference, having beaten Panama 3-0. England sit second, with their 2-1 win over Tunisia.

Tomorrow, we'll have the last matches of the first round of pool play, with Colombia taking on Japan, while Poland face Senegal.

Hosts Russia will play their second match of the tournament, taking on Egypt in what could be a deciding fixture in Group A.

7:53am: FULLTIME - England 2 Tunisia 1

That's it! Hearbreak for Tunisia as England avoid becoming another high profile side failing to win. England go second in Group G, with Belgium topping the group.

7:50am: 90 mins - England 2 Tunisia 1

GOAL!!! Loftus-Cheek forces a corner as we enter four minutes of stoppage time. Trippier takes and finds Maguire at the far post. Maguire heads back and Kane puts the ball away! Surely that'll be the winner!

Eric Dier comes on for England, replacing Jesse Lingard in the centre of midfield.

7:46am: 87 mins - England 1 Tunisia 1

Another free kick for England as Rashford is fouled. Trippier to take it from the right, he curls it into the box and Tunisia are there to clear it. 

Throw in for England as they move the ball left. Loftus-Cheek has a chance to run with the ball, crossing in from the right but again, Tunisia do well to clear it.

7:42am: 84 mins - England 1 Tunisia 1

Rashford wins a corner after a slinking run down the left. Young takes it, but the keeper comes and punches clear. Nasty collision between Mustafa and Stones and both are staying down.

7:40am: 82 mins - England 1 Tunisia 1

Another free kick for England, Youn to take it. He floats it in looking for Maguire at the back post. Tunisia clear the danger.

7:38am: 79 mins - England 1 Tunisia 1

Walker bombs forward and puts in a cross for Tunisia to clear. Rashford has the ball on the edge of the area, passing back to Tripper who puts in a cross for Kane. The ball drops to Lingard who can't get a shot away.

The ball drops again and this time Alli tries to make a run into the area, but is fouled to give England free kick in the best position of te night.

Young, Trippier and Rashford stand over it. It looks like Young will shoot. A bit of a delay with the Tunisian wall not going back 10m. Young shoots over the bar.

Dele Alli is replaced by Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

7:28am: 69 mins - England 1 Tunisia 1

Kane is tripped on the edge of the area to win England a free kick. Elsewhere, the first sub of the match is made, Marcus Rashford replaces Raheem Sterling.

Trippier standing over the dead ball, he could shoot from here. He does, but the ball sails wide of the target.

7:25am: 65 mins - England 1 Tunisia 1

England searching for an opening here, keeping the ball with ease. Tunisia happy to defend and try and hit back on the counter. Maguire again bursts forward, finding Tripper. The cross goes into the box looking for Alli, but there's too much on it. Goal kick for Tunisia.

7:20am: 60 mins - England 1 Tunisia 1

Harry Maguire of all people now bombing forward for England, appearing to have been given licence to go forward. Trippier crosses into the Tunisian box, but the ball is cleared to Alli. He finds Young on the left but the cross in is blocked. 

England have a throw in, Henderson finds Trippier wide on the right, but his cross is blocked and England have a corner. Tripper takes and Stones heads but can't hit the target as Tunisia clear the danger.

7:11am: 51 mins - England 1 Tunisia 1

Corner to England after a wayward clearance from the Tunisian keeper. Trippier takes and finds Alli right in front of goal, but the header is straight at the keeper.

7:05am: 46 mins - England 1 Tunisia 1

Tunisia get the second half underway. Can England capitalise on their first half dominance?

6:48am: HALTIME - England 1 Tunisia 1

Three minutes of first-half stoppage time. Maaloul goes down after being hit by Alli's cross. England restart and attack down the left. An uneventful end to the half as the referee brings it to an end.

6:45am: 45 mins - England 1 Tunisia 1

Chance for England! The keeper comes out early and Lingard goes round him! The shot trickles away but hits the post! England desperate to get their lead back here.

6:44am: 44 mins - England 1 Tunisia 1

Foul on Young and it's yet another free kick for England. Trippier takes and looks for Maguire again at the back post. The ball drops for Lingard who fires a shot away but Tunisia block it. 

Corner for England, Young takes it and the ball is deflected out to Tripper on the right. Tripper crosses in but the keeper gets down low to save it.

7:04am: 46 mins - England 1 Tunisia 1

Both sides back out there. England ahead with every stat apart from the one that matters. Tunisia to get the second half going.

6:39am: 39 mins - England 1 Tunisia 1

Free kick to England in a great position after a foul on Sterling. Tripper to take it again, Maguire heads down at the back post for Alli! The keeper saves before the ball drops to Stones who can't get anything into the shot! Another chance blown for England.

6:35am: 35 mins - England 1 Tunisia 1

PENALTY!!! Walker gives away a penalty for a foul on Ben Youssef and Tunisia will have a chance to equalise! The referee checks with the VAR, but the decision stands. Walker is booked in protest.

Sassi to take, up against Pickford. He goes bottom left and beats Pickford! Tunisia are level!

6:30am: 30 mins - England 1 Tunisia 0

Free kick to England in the Tunisian half. Trippier to take it from the left hand side, he curls it to the back post where Maguire meets it, but the keeper saves.

6:27am: 27 mins - England 1 Tunisia 0

England with a whopping 61 per cent of possession so far, with only the one goal to show for it. Chance for Tunisia though! Khazri beats Maguire, before Tunisia get a shot away. Maguire sends it wide with a deflection to give away a corner.

Khazri takes but Trippier clears.

6:23am: 23 mins - England 1 Tunisia 0

Tunisia have a chance now as Bronn charges down the right flank! Dele Alli of all people gets back to tidy up for England and force a Tunisian corner.

Khazri takes, and it misses everyone. The ball goes back to Sliti who has a shot from miles out that doesn't trouble Pickford in goal.

6:18am: 18 mins - England 1 Tunisia 0

Henderson goes close! The Liverpool captain rifles a shot on target and Ben Mustapha does well with his first touch to keep it out.

6:15am: 15 mins - England 1 Tunisia 0

Hassen leaves the field in tears. The Tunisian goalkeeper's shoulder injury appears to have gotten the better of him. Farouk Ben Mustapha is coming on in his place, nearly four years after his last appearance for his side.

6:12am: 12 mins - England 1 Tunisia 0

GOAL!!!  Harry Kane has a shot from the edge of the box, but Badri blocks. Corner for England.

Ashley Young takes and Stones gets a header on target! Hassen saves it, but can only deflect it into the path of Kane who scores! England lead!

6:06am: 7 mins - England 0 Tunisia 0

Huge chance for England! Lingard plays a ball across the face of the goal for Sterling, who has a tap-in to an empty net but he misses! It wouldn't have counted though, the assistant has the flag raised for offside.

Tunisian keeper Hassen is down though, he looks like he has an issue with his left shoulder, he's staying out there for now though.

6:03am: 3 mins - England 0 Tunisia 0

Tunisia have their first touch of the ball after a wayward cross from Trippier. Goalkeeper Hassen loses the ball and England have a throw in.

Henderson picks out Sterling with a ball over the top as England enter the box! Alli pulls the ball back to Lingard who has his shot blocked on the line, corner to England.

Trippier takes and Maguire heads on target, but Hassen is there to make a slightly uncomfortable save!

6:00am: KICKOFF - England 0 Tunisia 0

We're away! England start with possession as Harry Kane gets the ball rolling.

5:56am

Right then, we've just had the anthems for both sides. England and Tunisia shake hands, kick-off not far away.

5:52am

Harry Kane stands at the head of the England side in the tunnel, no sign of Tunisia just yet.

Wahbi Khazri eventually brings his side out of their changing room, both teams now waiting next to one another.

5:33am

Right then, the final XIs for each side have been confirmed:

England (3-1-4-2): 1. Jordan Pickford (gk), 2. Kyle Walker, 5. John Stones, 6. Harry Maguire, 8. Jordan Henderson, 12. Keiran Trippier, 7. Jesse Lingard, 20. Dele Alli, 18. Ashley Young, 9. Harry Kane (c), 10. Raheem Sterling.

Tunisia (4-4-1-1): 22. Mouez Hassen (gk), 11. Dylan Bronn, 2. Syam Ben Youssef, 4. Yassine Meriah, 12. Ali Maaloul, 8. Fakhreddine Ben Youssef, 17. Ellyes Skhiri, 13. Ferjani Sassi, 9. Anice Badri, 10. Wahbi Khazri, 23. Naim Slitl.

5:24am

So far this morning, Sweden have seen off South Korea, with Andreas Granqvist's penalty all that was needed to seal a 1-0 victory in Novogorad.

After that, Belgium outlined their credentials as tournament dark horses, easily dispatching Panama 3-0 in a comfortable win in Sochi.

The third and final game of the morning sees England take on Tunisia, from Volgograd. The Three Lions will be looking to start their campaign on a high, having failed to even get past the group stage in Brazil four years ago. We'll have the teams for you shortly.

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