The highly anticipated Round of 32 matches in the Socca World Cup kicked off with a flurry of goals and intense action at the packed stadium in Essen, Germany. Eight matches took place, featuring teams from around the globe battling it out for a spot in the next round. Here are the highlights of the captivating clashes:
UKRAINE 3-1 ALBANIA
The Ukrainian team started their campaign with an impressive victory over Albania. M. Andrey opened the scoring in the 7th minute, followed by S. Denys in the 12th minute. Although E. Kaca pulled one back for Albania in the 32nd minute, K. Denys sealed the deal with a strike in the 40th minute, securing Ukraine’s 3-1 win.
GERMANY 7-0 MAURITIUS
Host nation Germany showcased their dominance in a one-sided encounter against Mauritius. N. Kuehle set the tone with an early goal in the 5th minute. K. Seinsche added to Germany’s tally in the 11th minute, while B. Chandra found the back of the net in the 17th minute. J. Mediavilla and G. Evers scored in the 20th and 24th minutes, respectively. K. Seinsche netted his second in the 37th minute, and Y. Benfarji completed the rout in the 39th minute, leading Germany to a resounding 7-0 victory.
MOROCCO 1-0 OMAN
Morocco secured a narrow victory over Oman in a tightly contested match. S. Mahmoud broke the deadlock for Morocco, slotting home the only goal of the game. Despite Oman’s efforts, they couldn’t find an equalizer, resulting in a 1-0 win for Morocco. Who qualify for the quarter finals for the first time.
CROATIA 1-0 GEORGIA
Croatia emerged victorious in a closely fought encounter against Georgia. J. Haluška’s goal in the 36th minute proved to be the decisive moment of the match, as Croatia sealed a 1-0 win and advanced to the next round.
BRAZIL 3-0 ITALY
Brazil displayed their flair and skill against Italy, securing a convincing victory. V. Gutierrez opened the scoring in the 5th minute, followed by L. Aguiar in the 18th minute. W. Cyrilo added a third goal in the 20th minute, helping Brazil claim a comfortable 3-0 triumph.
POLAND 6-1 SCOTLAND
In a high-scoring encounter, Poland dominated Scotland. K. Kucharsxi scored in the 5th and 16th minutes, while K. Elsner found the back of the net in the 10th minute. B. Januszewski added two goals to Poland’s tally in the 11th and 24th minutes. N. Dregier joined the scoring spree in the 20th minute. Although Scotland managed to grab a consolation goal through J. Andrew in the 25th minute, Poland emerged as clear winners with a 6-1 scoreline.
HUNGARY 2-4 SLOVENIA
In a thrilling encounter, Hungary clashed with Slovenia in an entertaining back-and-forth contest. R. Ersek opened the scoring for Hungary in the 8th minute, but A. Malivojevič swiftly equalised for Slovenia. D. Huszty then scored in the 20th minute to regain Hungary’s lead. However, Slovenia turned the tide with goals from D. Potocnik in the 24th minute and M. Račič in the 34th minute. M. Sodič sealed Slovenia’s victory with a goal late in the match, securing a 4-2 triumph.
CHINA 2-1 ARGENTINA
China managed to edge past Argentina in a hard-fought encounter. W. Feng opened the scoring for China in the 18th minute, followed by Y. Wu in the 37th minute. G. Gonzalez pulled one back for Argentina in the 12th minute, but China held on to claim a 2-1 victory.
The other eight round of 32 games conclude tomorrow. Starting at 9am CET.