2018 FIFA World Cup (Group D):
- Denmark 1-0 Peru
- France 2-1 Australia
Denmark opened their 2018 FIFA World Cup expedition with a slim 1-0 win against South Americans Peru on Saturday.
Yussuf Poulsen scored the lone strike on the evening.
Peru played its first game at the World Cup on Saturday since 1982.
Christian Cueva skied a first-half penalty kick for Peru as the first half ended goal-less.
The penalty had been awarded following a pitchside review by the referee, sailed wildly over the bar just before half-time.
Cueva was unable to keep his emotions together at the time as he fought back tears and the midfielder was still shaking his head at the final whistle, along with plenty of other Peru players.
Bakary Gassama, the Gambian referee, initially waved for play to continue when Cueva tumbled to the floor under a challenge from Poulsen and it appeared as though no penalty would be given.
Then, however, Gassama got word from the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) that he should look at the incident on the pitch side monitor.
Although the contact was slight, the footage clearly showed that Poulsen caught Cueva’s trailing leg, and Gassama pointed to the spot.
The executor blasted the ball over the Kaspr Schmeichels’s goal bar, into the spectators behind.
Poulsen made up for the blunder with a calm finish, the only goal scored.
It looked like the equalizer was there on 79 minutes with Paolo Guerrero’s backheel that went just wide
Peru face France on Thursday and Denmark will be playing Australia on the same day. A win for France and Denmark will see them progress to the round of 16 stage.