🎥 Ecuador hit woodwork 3 times, Ivory Coast win in 90th 😳! Sweden rampant 💪 | OneFootball

It looked like it was heading for an emotional goalless draw, but in the 90th minute Côte d’Ivoire found the decisive spark. The man who delivered the first win for an African team at this World Cup was former Atalanta player Amad Diallo, who did well to capitalize on an assist from another familiar face from our league, Singo.

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A hugely important win for the Ivorians, coming at the end of a match in which — truth be told — Ecuador had been the more dangerous side. 

Three efforts off the woodwork in total for the South Americans (two crossbars and a post), and one crossbar for Côte d'Ivoire. Another Serie A player stood out for Ecuador, Venezia’s Yeboah, who was a key figure in the Lagunari’s promotion from Serie B. 

Just when everything pointed to a 0-0, though, came the goal no one saw coming: Singo’s burst forward and the finish from the Manchester United talent, who picked out the corner with no chance at all for Galindez.

A goal that sends Côte d’Ivoire into second place in Group E, behind Germany. Clearly, considering the other two opponents, this win could already prove decisive for the Elephants. 

Sweden-Tunisia 5-1

Everything was easy, meanwhile, for Sweden, who kicked off their World Cup with a convincing 5-1 win over Tunisia and immediately sent a message to the rest of the group. The standout stars — needless to say — were Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres, each scoring once and leading a performance that confirmed the huge attacking potential of Graham Potter’s team. Very few teams at this World Cup can rely on two strikers of this level. Yasin Ayari added a brace to complete the win.

The match was unlocked after just seven minutes thanks to Ayari. Isak doubled the lead on the half-hour mark, before Rekik pulled one back for Tunisia late in the first half. After the break, though, Sweden took full control: Gyökeres made it 3-1 after capitalizing on a mistake by Skhiri, and then came goals from Svanberg and Ayari again in stoppage time.

Beyond the result, the most positive sign for Potter was the understanding shown by Isak and Gyökeres, finally effective together. For Tunisia, meanwhile, it was a heavy defeat that already makes the road to a historic place in the round of 16 much harder. To get back on track, they will need to beat the Netherlands in the next round — no easy task.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.

📸 MAURO PIMENTEL - AFP or licensors