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Sam Lewis
Hello and invited to nan last lucifer time of Group G pinch New Zealand taking connected Belgium astatine BC Place successful Vancouver. Kick-off for today’s lucifer will beryllium 8:00pm section clip (11pm EDT/4am BST/1pm AEST).
This is nan 3rd and last lucifer of Group G, pinch each 4 teams playing simultaneously to spot who will suffice retired of 1 of nan tightest groups of this World Cup.
As it stands, conscionable 3 points abstracted first from fourth, pinch Egypt (4) starring nan group followed intimately by Iran (2), Belgium (2), and New Zealand (1).
While a number of different fourth-placed teams person entered this last lucifer time already eliminated acknowledgment to Fifa’s caller head-to-head ruling, location is still a ray of dream for New Zealand.
Their opening 2-2 tie against Iran, mixed pinch Belgium’s 2 draws successful their first 2 matches, intends a triumph for nan All Whites coming could spot them leapfrog nan world number 10 and suffice for their first ever World Cup knock-outs.
Belgium, for their part, presently beryllium extracurricular nan best-ranked third-placed teams aft 2 disappointing performances against Egypt (1-1) and Iran (0-0).
They will beryllium peculiarly disappointment by their capacity against Iran past week, which saw Nathan Ngoy person a consecutive reddish paper and a broadside stacked pinch stars neglect to get past nan stand-out Alireza Beiranvand successful goal.
All of which is to opportunity that some teams request a triumph coming (though Belgium could settee for different draw) to advancement to nan information of 32.
Elsewhere, Egypt are besides taking connected Iran successful Seattle to find who could apical nan group and frankincense unafraid an easier force successful nan adjacent stage. Jonathan Howcroft is starring that unrecorded blog present if you’d for illustration to travel on pinch both.
