A disallowed goal and a World-Class save: How Iran is rattling Belgium at halftime

21.06.26 FT World Cup

Belgium

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:

Iran

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Belgium and Iran battled to a tense 0-0 halftime draw at SoFi Stadium on Sunday 21 Jun as tactical discipline stifled the Group G favorites.

The Matchday 2 encounter kicked off with immediate intensity under Argentine referee Darío Herrera. Just 3 minutes into the game, Romelu Lukaku picked up a caution following a heavy collision with Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand forcing a lengthy medical stoppage.

Without the explosive pace of winger Jérémy Doku, who was a late omission from the matchday squad due to a respiratory tract infection, Rudi Garcia's frontline completely lacked fluidity.

Kevin De Bruyne found his usual passing lanes heavily congested by a disciplined midfield leaving an isolated Lukaku starved of quality service inside the box.

VAR denies the Persian Lions

Amir Ghalenoei’s squad looked dangerous on the counter attack. Iran safely managed Belgium's passive possession and nearly took the lead when defender Hossein Kanaanizadegan unleashed a ferocious volley forcing a world-class reflex save from Thibaut Courtois.

The loudest roar of the first half came in the 25th minute when SoFi Stadium briefly erupted. Ehsan Hajsafi executed a clever free-kick over the defensive wall to find Mehdi Taremi who calmly slotted the ball into the back of the net.

However the celebrations were cut short after a quick Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review correctly disallowed the goal for a marginal offside position.

Breaking the tactical deadlock

To salvage three vital points in second half, the Red Devils must find a way to inject urgency into wide areas to stretch Iran's rigid 4-4-2 defensive shape.

Conversely, the Persian Lions will look to maintain their structural discipline and punish Belgium on the break as frustration grows.

Khaled Hegazy |

Editorar, en

Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.

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