Eriksen stunner cancelled out as Denmark held by Australia

SAMARA, Russia: Christian Eriksen’s superb opener was cancelled out by Mile Jedinak’s penalty as Denmark and Australia drew 1-1 at the World Cup on Thursday to ensure Group C would go down to the final round of matches.

Denmark moved on to four points and need at least a draw against France in their last game to guarantee a last-16 spot.Australia, with one point, are clinging on by their fingertips and need to win their final match against Peru to stand any chance of going through.

Denmark’s seventh-minute opener was fully deserved and the quality of the finish was superb in a World Cup that has produced some wonderful goals.Aaron Mooy’s poor clearance was immediately returned into the area.

Nicolai Jorgensen controlled and flicked the ball inside to Eriksen, who ghosted into space and lashed a sweet half-volley on the rise which flew high into the net.The sublime finish was Eriksen’s 13th goal in his last 15 appearances for Denmark and underlined the pivotal importance of the Tottenham Hotspur playmaker to the otherwise workmanlike Danes.

Denmark should have doubled their advantage when Jorgensen flashed a header wide at the near post as Australia looked ragged at the back and toothless up front.Yet just as in their opening game, Australia were handed a route back into the match from the penalty spot, thanks to the intervention of the Video Assistant Referee.

Referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz had failed to spot that Mathew Leckie’s header had struck the arm of Yussuf Poulsen, but after being alerted to the incident by the VAR, he pointed to the spot.

Danish keeper Kasper Schmeichel had not conceded for 571 minutes, but Jedinak calmly rolled home his penalty in the 38th minute to equalise.

Having clawed their way back into the game, Australia seemed imbued with a renewed sense of belief, surging forward in numbers whenever they could and roared on by the vast array of green and gold clad fans in the Samara Arena.They could not turn that impetus, however, into clear chances.

On Wednesday night, a lucky Diego Costa goal handed hopefuls Spain their first win of the World Cup although dogged Iran came close to causing a major upset.Costa courted controversy early in the Group B encounter when he stepped on the toes of Iran ‘keeper Ali Beiranvand.

His gesture went unpunished, and the Atletico Madrid striker required another stroke of luck on 54 minutes when his shot came off Ramin Rezaeian to beat Beiranvand after he had been sent through by Andres Iniesta.

Just before the hour mark, the entire Iranian bench poured onto the pitch when Saeid Ezatolahi fired an equaliser for Iran.But the thousands of Iranian supporters that filled the stadiuum with the sound of vuvuzelas throughout were left disappointed when it was ruled out for offside.

With three points from two matches, Iran still have a chance of qualifying if they can get a result against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal on Monday.By the end of a pulsating opening half in which Iran’s defence thwarted the few real chances La Roja were able to create, Hierro’s men left the pitch looking rather red-faced.

Costa got so frustrated with Iran’s defensive tactics that he approached Beiranvand and provocatively stepped on his toes, leaving the ‘keeper in visible pain.It went unpunished by Uruguayan referee Cunha, who had awarded France a historic first VAR-assisted penalty that saw Antoine Griezmann score Les Bleus’ opener in a 2-1 win over Australia.

Spain resumed in more positive fashion after the break, Beiranvand forced to produce heroics twice in the space of four minutes.But Iran refused to buckle, Carlos Queiroz’s men coming close in the final minutes when midfielder Mehdi Taremi headed just over.Shortly after the restart, an Isco corner was flicked on by Costa to Gerard Pique but his effort was cleared off the line.