2018 World Cup: Saudi Arabia 2-1 Egypt - As it happened

by Graeme Jackson

Monday Jun 25, 2018. 17:53

Welcome to as-it-happened coverage of the 2018 World Cup Group A match between Saudi Arabia and Egypt from the Volgograd Arena in Volgograd.

Line-ups

Saudi Arabia: Yasser Al Mosailem, Osama Hawsawi, Mohammed Al-Breik, Yasser Al-Shahrani, Motaz Hawsawi, Abdullah Otayf, Salem Al-Dawsari, Hattan Bahebri, Salman Al-Faraj, Housain Al-Mogahwi, Fahad Al-Muwallad

Egypt:  Essam El Hadary, Ahmed Fathi, Ahmed Hegazy, Mohammed Abdel Shafi, Ali Gabr, Abdallah Said, Mohamed Elneny, Tarek Hamed, Trezeguet, Marwan Mohsen, Mohamed Salah

Commentary (press F5 to refresh) 
All times CAT

90+6' - Full time - Heartbreak right at the death for Egypt, who suffer three losses and finish rock bottom of Group A on their World Cup return.

90+5' - GOAL! Saudi Arabia 2-1 Egypt - A late goal for the 'Green Falcons', as a patient build-up ends with Al Dawsari sending a low shot into the back of the net.

90+1' - There will be four minutes of added time.

88' - Closing in on full time, looks like this one is going to end in a draw.

86' - Yellow card - Fathi into the book for hauling down Al-Shahrani.

84' - Kahraba with a chance but he shoots straight at the 'keeper! Flag was up anyway, wouldn't have counted...

81' - Substitution - Kahraba replaces Trezeguet in Egypt's final change.

79' - Substitution - Saudi Arabia's second change sees Al-Muwallad replaced by Yahya Al-Shehri.

77' - Salah with a powerful run which doesn't quite break the defence, before Warda sees his shot deflected away for a corner.

74' - Al-Faraj tries his luck from a long-range free kick, but his effort is nowhere near the target.

70' - Another save from El Hadary, this time to deny Assiri's header at a corner kick! The veteran has full merited his inclusion with a great performance.

69' - El Hadary makes a great one-handed save to push away a header from Al-Mogahwi.

65' - Substitution - Muhannad Assiri replaces Bahebri for Saudi Arabia.

64' - Substitution - Ramadam Sobhi replaces Mohsen in attack for Egypt.

63'- Salah looks to chase down a loose ball, but he's beaten to it by the Saudi goalkeeper.

61' - Gabr with a vital tackle to prevent Al-Dawsari having a clean strike on goal.

57' - Trezeguet meets a cross from the right... and heads just wide! What a great chance for the Pharaohs to reclaim the lead!

54' - Hegazy only half clears a cross from the right and he's lucky to see Bahebri strike the loose ball over the target.

53' - Salah steals the ball in Saudi Arabia's half, but can't find Mohsen with his pass inside from the right flank.

51' - Al-Faraj goes down in hope of another penalty, but the referee isn't interested.

47' - Early half chance for Saudi Arabia's Bahebri, but his low effort from a tight angle is comfortably held by El Hadary.

46' - Back underway in the second half, no changes from either team at the break.

45+7' - Half time - All level at the interval, Saudi Arabia hitting back late in injury time.

45+6' - Substitution - The injured Said is replaced by Amr Warda for Egypt.

45+6' - GOAL! Saudi Arabia 1-1 Egypt - This time Al-Faraj takes the penalty and scores! It's 1-1 at the break!

45+5' - Yellow card - Gabr booked for the foul.

45+2' - Penalty to Saudi Arabia again! Gabr adjudged to have fouled Al-Muwallad! It's going to VAR, seems to have been a debatable decision... it stands, spot kick!

45+1' - There will be three minutes of added time.

43' - El Hadary receiving some treatment, he should be okay to carry on.

41' - Al-Muwallad cracks the penalty... saved by El Hadary! The 'keeper pushes the shot up onto the woodwork! Amazing stuff from the 45-year-old record breaker!

39' - Penalty to Saudi Arabia! Al-Dawsari's cross strikes Fathi's hand and it's a spot kick!

37' - A pull-back from the left by-line finds Al-Faraj, who fires a shot on target but Hegazi gets in the way to make a crucial block! That should have been 1-1.

33' - Salah tees up Trezeguet, who looks to curl a half-volley into the top corner but doesn't hit the target.

32' - Saudi Arabia with a corner kick, which initially looks dangerous but ends with Osama Hawsawi firing a long-range effort over the target.

29' - Said whips the ball, but it's too close to Al Mosailem, who punches clear.

28' - Mohsen wins a free kick off Osama Hawsawi and Egypt have a fine attacking position here...

24' - Salah springs the offside trap, this will surely be 2-0... no! The striker chips the goalkeeper but puts it wide of the right-hand post!

22' - GOAL! Saudi Arabia 0-1 Egypt - Salah's pace sees him sprint in between two defenders to meet a long ball before chipping it over the advancing Saudi goalkeeper, great finish to make it 1-0!

21' - El Hadary with a fine catch to prevent a cross from the right reaching Al-Muwallad in the middle of the penalty area.

18' - Al-Breik whips in a cross from the right, but there's nobody in a green shirt to get on the end of it. Saudi Arabia continue to look the likelier scorers.

15' - Saudi on a counter attack and Al-Dawsari lets fly from long range, but it's high over the crossbar and no trouble for the Egypt 'keeper.

13' - Mohsen loses his footing just inside the box, but it's a stumble rather than a foul, no hint of a penalty.

11' - Trezeguet looks for a pull-back toward Salah on the edge of the box, but can't quite pick out the Liverpool star.

9' - Al-Faraj's corner kick is headed clear by Hegazy, solid at the back from the Pharaohs.

8' - Hegazy concedes the first corner kick for the Saudis, who will look to make something from this set piece.

6' - The 'Green Falcons' looking quite lively early on, Egypt will need to be sharp in defence.

3' - The first shot in anger comes from Saudi Arabia's Al-Mogahwi, but he drags his effort well wide.

1' - Kick-off - We are underway in Volgograd! Saudi Arabia wear all-green, while Egypt are in a change strip of white and black.

15h50 - The referee for today's match is Colombian official Wilmar Roldan.

15h40 - This game is a dead rubber, with neither side able to advance into the last 16. Only the pride of avoiding the 'wooden spoon' in the group is at stake.

15h30 - Half an hour to kick-off and the big news is that Egypt's Essam El Hadary will make history by becoming the oldest ever player, at age 45, to appear at the World Cup finals.