Belgium Held to Dull Draw by Iran After Being Reduced to Ten Men in Disappointing World Cup Opener
Iran has secured a 0-0 draw with 10-man Belgium in the FIFA World Cup Group G, marking their first unbeaten start to the tournament in two games.
The match saw 33-year-old Romelu Lukaku make his first start since June 9 last year, becoming Belgium's third most-capped player. Iran manager Amir Ghalenoei fielded the oldest starting lineup in a World Cup game since 1966, with an average age of 32 years and 181 days.
Belgium dominated the early stages, with Maxim De Cuyper firing an early shot at Alireza Beiranvand. Iran nearly took the lead in the 14th minute when Hossein Kanani forced Thibaut Courtois into a low save. Beiranvand made several crucial saves, including one from Youri Tielemans and another from De Cuyper.
Iran had a goal ruled out for offside by VAR in the 25th minute, and Belgium continued to control possession. However, Iran created better chances, with Courtois making a notable save from Mehdi Taremi's volley.
The game's momentum shifted when Nathan Ngoy was sent off for hauling down Taremi midway through the second half. Despite their advantage, Iran couldn't capitalize, with Beiranvand making another crucial save from De Cuyper.
The draw leaves both teams with two points from two games, and they may need to win their final fixtures to qualify for the last 32. Belgium will face New Zealand, while Iran will take on Egypt. Alireza Beiranvand was instrumental in the match, making several key saves to earn his team a valuable point.
The match saw 33-year-old Romelu Lukaku make his first start since June 9 last year, becoming Belgium's third most-capped player. Iran manager Amir Ghalenoei fielded the oldest starting lineup in a World Cup game since 1966, with an average age of 32 years and 181 days.
Belgium dominated the early stages, with Maxim De Cuyper firing an early shot at Alireza Beiranvand. Iran nearly took the lead in the 14th minute when Hossein Kanani forced Thibaut Courtois into a low save. Beiranvand made several crucial saves, including one from Youri Tielemans and another from De Cuyper.
Iran had a goal ruled out for offside by VAR in the 25th minute, and Belgium continued to control possession. However, Iran created better chances, with Courtois making a notable save from Mehdi Taremi's volley.
The game's momentum shifted when Nathan Ngoy was sent off for hauling down Taremi midway through the second half. Despite their advantage, Iran couldn't capitalize, with Beiranvand making another crucial save from De Cuyper.
The draw leaves both teams with two points from two games, and they may need to win their final fixtures to qualify for the last 32. Belgium will face New Zealand, while Iran will take on Egypt. Alireza Beiranvand was instrumental in the match, making several key saves to earn his team a valuable point.
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