On Thursday evening in the 2014 World Cup, all 16 quarterfinalists were revealed. In the last H group, the 3rd round of matches was played, after which it was clear that Belgium and Algeria were advancing to the next stage.
The most attention was drawn to the match between Algeria and Russia. In a fierce clash, a 1-1 draw was recorded, which was unfavorable for the Russians, but opened the doors to the quarterfinals for the Algerians.
The game started particularly well for the Russians, who took the lead in the 6th minute. Aleksandr Kokorin scored after a precise high pass from Dmitry Kombarov.
After the goal, the pressure from Algeria was not felt and the Russian team continued to attack successfully. In the 26th minute, Oleg Shatov had the opportunity to score, but his shot flew past the post.
Algeria's first real chance came three minutes later. Abdelmoumene Djabou delivered a precise pass from a corner kick into the penalty area, but Islam Slimani's header didn't cause much trouble for Igor Akinfeev.
At the end of the first half, the same I. Slimani had another good chance to score with his head, but once again, the Russian goalkeeper was superior.
In the second half, the Russians started to play more actively, but in the 60th minute, they had to admit their opponent's advantage. I. Slimani finally equalized after a standard opportunity.
After the equalizer, there was no way back for the Russians as only a victory satisfied them in this match. Aleksandr Kerzhakov broke through dangerously in the 70th minute with a powerful shot, but it did not result in a goal.
Throughout the remaining time, the Russians pressed the African team, but the game was not conducive to creating a goal-scoring opportunity, and the final result remained 1-1.
In the other matches, Belgium, who already secured their place in the quarterfinals after the second round, clashed with South Korea. The Belgians defeated the Asians by a narrow margin and secured the first place in the group.
In the first half, the teams remained without goals, but right at the end, Belgian defender Steven Defour was sent off.
In the next 45 minutes, South Korean players failed to take advantage of the numerical superiority and Jan Vertonghen scored the decisive goal in the 78th minute.
Belgium, who finished first in Group H, will face the USA in the quarterfinals, while Algeria will face Germany.
Results:
Algeria 1 - 1 Russia
6' [0 - 1] A. Kokorin
60' [1 - 1] I. Slimani
South Korea 0 - 1 Belgium
78' [0 - 1] J. Vertonghen
45' S. Defour (Belgium) sent off
Starting lineups:
South Korea: G Kim, S Y Yun, Y G Kim, H M Son, Y Lee, J C Koo (c), K Y Han, S Y Ki, C Y Lee, S W Kim, J H Hong.
Belgium: Courtois, Vertonghen, Fellaini, Mirallas, Mertens, Van Buyten, Defour, Lombaerts, Dembele, Januzaj, Vanden Borre.
Algeria: Mbolhi, Belkalem, Halliche (c), Mesbah, Feghouli, Brahimi, Medjani, Slimani, Bentaleb, Djabou, Mandi.
Russia: Akinfeev, Kozlov, Ignashevich, Glushakov, Kokorin, Kerzhakov, Berezutskiy (c), Shatov, Samedov, Fayzulin, Kombarov.
Group H standings:
| Place | Team | Played | Points | Goals scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Belgium | 3 | 9 | +3 |
| 2. | Algeria | 3 | 4 | +1 |
| 3. | Russia | 3 | 2 | -1 |
| 4. | South Korea | 3 | 1 | -3 |
