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World Cup 2018: day 10 buildup with B... Belgium 5-2 Tunisia: World Cup 2018 –...

Day 10 buildup with Belgium and Germany in action: World Cup 2018 – as it happened

Dele Alli trained with the England squad ahead of their match with Panama and the Germany team received plenty of criticism

Join Scott Murray for Belgium v Tunisia - live!

12.12pm BST

Right...that’s all from today’s blog but now the real fun is about to begin with some actual football rather than Saturday Kitchen and all that jazz.

Start your Saturday feast of football with Scott Murray who is on for Belgium v Tunisia...

12.05pm BST

England trained today, as they do most days currently. But the session did see Dele Alli take part for a little bit with the rest of the squad before wandering off to work alone. Will he play tomorrow? Nope.

11.57am BST

Team bonding in the Egypt camp

11.51am BST

The Tunisia team is in: Ben, Bronn, Ben Youssef S, Meriah, Maaloul, Skhiri, Sassi, Khaoui, Badri, Ben Youssef F, Khazri

11.43am BST

The Belgium team is in: Courtois, Alderweireld, Boyata, Vertonghen, Meunier, De Bruyne, Witsel, Carrasco, Mertens, Lukaku, Hazard

11.35am BST

The Russia PR machine is in overdrive, even the England band are saying how nice it is over there.

Band member Steve Holmes, 47, from Stannington, said: “It’s brilliant - it’s so different to what we thought.

11.25am BST

Don’t injure yourself, lads.

11.24am BST

The lads at ITV have spoken to Roy Keane about himself rather than just letting him snipe at others.

During a discussion on their 21st century podcast, which on this occasion has not been hosted by Alan Davies and two blokes from Yorkshire, Keano told Mark Pougatch about the 2002 World Cup, claiming he let Big Mick off lightly.

I think if there was an apology possibly, yeah. Possibly. Listen, as I said it’s alright me sitting here, listen if you spoke to Mick or somebody or the staff, they might have a different side to it. I know it takes two to tango, but that’s what happened.

And once I’d left the hotel, the team left early the next morning, the damage was done. And listen, if there was an apology [that] came my way, there was a mishap or whatever, yeah I think things could have been different.

But once I landed back in Ireland, the damage was done. I couldn’t go back in to work with a manager who probably felt that about me. So as I said the damage was done yet strangely enough no-one ever made these accusations against me when I was playing and we were winning matches and we were qualifying, so I found the timing really strange, particularly in front of the staff and the group of players.

So as I mentioned earlier, the bibs and the balls and the cones that weren’t there, that was all taken care of, that had settled down and by the end of the week we were kind of laughing and joking about that anyway, as you do, you have to move on, I get that.

But to be accused of missing a game because of an injury that I was accused of having, believe it or not I actually let people off lightly, there could have been a lot more trouble, shall we say.

11.17am BST

Some people have inexplicably questioned why Russia are so good at the World Cup. Their doc has quashed rumours that they might be doping.

11.15am BST

Andrew Benton has a different scoreline in mind, which is controversial...

His repost: “Belgium 2:2 Tunisia more like! “

11.14am BST

As we all watch Saturday Kitchen, it is only right that a bit of food preparation is discussed. Here’s what the Mexicans are and, more important, are not eating to avoid doping.

11.13am BST

I am here! I really am. Scott is off for his much-needed rest ahead of the excitement of Belgium 4-0 Tunisia.

10.55am BST

And with that, I’m going to pass this blog - and indeed your good self, dear reader - into the loving arms of Will Unwin. Hopefully we’ll see each other again in a couple of hours on the MBM of the big Belgium-Tunisia clash, as another exciting day of hot World Cup action begins. Remember, it only happens once every four years, so savour every last drop!

10.50am BST

When the fun stops, etc. But if you do fancy lumping on, here’s how the bookies see the World Cup right now. How about that Croatian midfield, huh.

9-2: Brazil, Spain
7-1: France
8-1: Germany, Belgium
10-1: England
12-1: Croatia
16-1: Portugal
20-1: Argentina
25-1: Uruguay
40-1: Russia
50-1: Bar

10.40am BST

Three Lions Pride: Against Panama tomorrow, an England LGBT supporters association will unfurl a banner that has already made a positive impact in Russia. Shaun Walker in Moscow tells the story.

10.32am BST

Australia winger Robbie Kruse has been taking flak for his performances from clowns on social media, to the extent that his team-mates are now appealing for the abuse to stop. Kruse and his family have also received threats of violence, which have led to his parents shutting down their Facebook account. “For his own people, for Australians, to be slagging off - it’s not okay,” says Mathew Leckie. “He is, I guess, shocked. It’s just disappointing - not just for him, but for all players. We’re representing Australia. And the people back home that are saying bad things, it’s understandable that they might like some players more than other players. But it doesn’t give anyone the right to abuse a player.”

Defender Aziz Behich added: “It’s people that just sit behind a computer that probably have never kicked a ball before. The people that criticise, I don’t think they actually watch the game and how hard he works. What he has been through in his career with injuries and setbacks, a lot of players would have crumbled a long time ago. So it shows just the character he has got. He is a champion and we will be behind him.”

10.22am BST

Mo Salah has been named as an honorary citizen of Chechnya. Egypt have been based in the republic, and leader Ramzan Kadyrov presented the winger with a badge and a decree at a farewell banquet last night, saying: “Mohamed Salah is an honorary citizen of the Chechen Republic. Yes, that’s right! Tonight I signed a decree conferring this high award on the great footballer and member of the Egypt and Liverpool teams.”

10.11am BST

More Guardian excellence! Sid Lowe has been talking to Hernán Darío Gómez, the Panama coach. Make another cup of tea, and sit down again, because this is quite a story. Gómez is a man who’s been through the mill all right. “Gómez was Colombia’s assistant when Andrés Escobar was shot dead after his own goal at the 1994 World Cup. During qualification for this tournament the Panama midfielder Amílcar Henríquez was gunned down outside his home. And when he was Ecuador coach, Gómez himself was shot after he did not name a politician’s son in the under‑20s.”

9.59am BST

Egypt goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary could become the oldest player to compete at a World Cup finals if he plays against Saudi Arabia on Monday. El-Hadary didn’t feature in Egypt’s first two games, but there’s a chance of a sentimental recall, given both teams have already been knocked out and the game in Volgograd will be a dead rubber. El-Hadary will be 45 years, five months and 12 days old on Monday. If he plays, he’ll beat the record of Colombia’s Faryd Mondragon, who came on as a substitute for the last five minutes of a group game against Japan in 2014, aged 43 years and three days.

Whether coach Hector Cuper takes that opportunity is another matter, and there have been reports of a row, but it’s all been denied by the Egyptian FA: “El-Hadary supported and praised his teammates. He may be angry for not participating but nothing out of line happened.” (For the record, Roger Milla - you were thinking about Roger Milla, weren’t you - was a sprightly 42 years and 39 days old when he scored for Cameroon in the Oleg Salenko match against Russia at USA 94.)

9.45am BST

This is also marvellous: Barney Ronay has been watching RT’s coverage of the World Cup, so you don’t have to. The jewel in their coverage being “the great José, trying hard to seem welcoming and nice but still looking like he would beat you into submission with an ivory shoehorn if he could only be bothered – now please leave his penthouse shark aquarium.”

9.32am BST

Anyone remember

Spangles
Roy Hodgson? The former England boss has been talking to the Daily Mail, and singing the praises of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who he reckons has “more strings to his bow” than - a touch random, this - 2002 and 2006 World Cup nearly man Michael Ballack. “I’d say he goes by people more than Ballack did. I think he’s got Ballack’s power and his pace and his strength. But he’s maybe got more strings to his bow than even Ballack had. That’s a bold thing to say, I know, but he’s so good at going past people. He’s got that deceptive turn of pace. In that way he’s a bit like Jack Wilshere really.”

9.21am BST

A magnificent piece here from our man Simon Burnton. It’s look back at how England prepared for World Cups in the past. Make a cup of tea, sit down, and enjoy every word. This tale, from 1958, particularly caught the eye:

The Tottenham manager, Bill Nicholson, had scouted England’s next opponents, Brazil, and under his instruction the second string imitated the Brazilians in a practice match, with Peter Broadbent taking his impersonation of Didi so far he spoke in broken English and cried “caramba!” in particularly heated moments.

9.09am BST

Spain scraped their way past Iran last Wednesday. It would have been interesting to hear 2010 winner Carles Puyol’s take on La Furia Roja’s performance. But sadly his punditry gig degenerated into farce, according to the BBC. Booked to appear on Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, he wasn’t allowed into their Tehran studio on account of his long hair, which was deemed inappropriate. The spring-curled Puyol played 100 times for Spain, winning two international tournaments, while turning out for one of the biggest clubs in the world for the best part of 15 years; should his look have surprised IRIB this much? The talent booker has questions to answer here.

8.56am BST

As World Cup controversies go, England’s scrapofpapergate isn’t exactly Bobby Moore and the bracelet in Bogota, is it. Jamie Vardy is also of the opinion that it’s a transient confection, like confetti on the wind. “All that is saying is telling our next opponents we’ve got 23 players in the squad and letting them know their names again,” he reasons. “We find out the team on the morning of the game or the night before and until the gaffer names the team that’s the way it is.”

8.46am BST

Good news for England ahead of their big game against Panama in Nizhny Novgorod tomorrow lunchtime. Dele Alli is back in training. He’d suffered a minor thigh strain against Tunisia. Whether the 22-year-old Spurs midfielder will be risked this weekend is another matter, not least because Ruben Loftus-Cheek impressed during his brief cameo upon replacing Alli on Monday night, so he might have been benched anyway. But it’s always nice to have options, isn’t it.

8.37am BST

Some of you might not fancy whistling showtunes all day. If you need to kill an earworm, Max Rushden and Barry Glendenning should be able to help you out, for the latest World Cup Football Daily is pure audio bliss. Contains Brazil, Nigeria and Switzerland, double-headed eagle celebrations, a fine for Mexico, Swedish iPhone notifications and the best club name in the world.

8.26am BST

Still over seven hours until South Korea take on Mexico. “You quoted the greatest musical (I say with no apologies) ever and now I’ve an earworm and El Tri plays today and where are my tap shoes,” begins Sam ‘Gene Kelly is my #10’ Lopez, before breaking into song. “Neymar supposes his toeses are roses/ but Neymar supposes erroneously! / For Neymar he knowses Coutinho’s are roses like Neymar supposes his toeses to be!” Sports satire, if it had been produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. This is what the kids want.

8.18am BST

Last night’s stramash between Switzerland and Serbia had a fairly entertaining climax. A fine breakaway goal by Xherdan Shaqiri settled it in the last knockings. Shaqiri was more than happy to cop a booking for his celebration, whipping his shirt off in glee. He’s not exactly fat, as folk keep insisting, is he? He also did this:

8.04am BST

♬♫ Good morning, good morning / Jonathan’s blogged the whole night through / Good morning, good morning to you! / Good morning, good morning / It’s great to get up early and report on flag-carrying ants and Balkan politics / Good morning, good morning to you! When the band began to play the stars were shining bright! Now the milkman’s on his way and it’s too late to say good night! SO!!! Good morning, good morning / Sun beams will soon smile through / Good morning, good morning to you! ♪

7.58am BST

Thank you for your company today. It’s now time for me to pass this blog over to Scott Murray, make a brew, and enjoy Dave Penney (not that one) handle a TV interview in a nuclear fallout shelter. See you tomorrow.

7.53am BST

BREAKING NEWS: the David Penney who reckons Mexico are gonna do Brazil (see earlier) is not the David Penney. Oxford United and Swansea City fans, stand down.

7.50am BST

Barney Ronay has watched the World Cup on RT, so you don’t have to. The verdict? “Mourinho’s punditry on RT in Russia is brilliant. And it’s not that it’s ‘good TV’ (Whatever that is) but it’s interesting, not so different, and tells you a bit about being in Russia. Plus it has both The Schmeichel Show and The Collymore Show.”

7.44am BST

“Morning Jonathan,” hi Ning-Ning Li, “I’m an Englander in China at the moment (not that Alastair Chivers’ girlfriend) and to my luck fell upon these live feeds which I’ve read alongside watching the games. They’ve been really entertaining (as well as a narration I understand). Your mini World-Cup website has turned into my morning check-in, catching up with the results and drama from the games that are aired at 2am over here, like a mini-world-cup-Christmas. And loving the player-by-player guide, as someone who loves football but is no expert it’s very interesting to learn more about the teams, and so easily! As I’m not well versed in all football technicalities, I feel like ‘STOP BEING EFFING DRAMATIC’ to some players is all I can contribute confidently. This tournament has been filled with surprises, here’s to many more. Thanks to you and your team.”

Kind words, Ning-Ning, thank you. And if you don’t know about the player guide referenced above, here it is. I’m responsible for the Australian entries, so hopefully nobody picks up any errors.

7.40am BST

Pjotr van Rooijen is bypassing the professional punditry he earlier decried for his say on the shemozzle that is Argentina. “Against Iceland, Messi had 11 shots on goal, whereas against Croatia he barely touched the ball,” he emails. “I’m fairly certain it was Sampaoli’s idea to relieve Messi of pressure and to let the others play, and his pre-match statements seem to back that up. It failed miserably of course, and led to a complete humiliation against Croatia.

What’s disconcerting is that a manager would do a complete 180 like that during a crucial World Cup game, and that’s why I have a feeling there’s more to it. Messi didn’t look right, even during the anthems, and he seemed almost paralysed throughout the game, like Ronaldo in the ‘98 final. Whether it’s the pressure or something else, something is very wrong in the Argentina camp.”

7.32am BST

Gonna miss Peru.

7.32am BST

“Mexico are great because it’s a team of little guys which forces technicality over physicality,” emails David Penney. “I think they could embarrass Brazil in the next round, who just look really awful. I thought the Fred-era was bad but this is pretty rubbish.”

That’s not former Oxford United and Swansea City’s David Penney is it?

7.24am BST

Have you ever wanted to put together your all-time German XI? I know I have. And my life was made immeasurably easier by this nifty little extension:

7.19am BST

After their incredible victory Mexico are daring to dream. El Tri will be expected to confirm passage to the round of 16 against South Korea in Rostov.

7.08am BST

Looking ahead to today’s fixtures then, with plenty of focus on Germany’s salvage job against Sweden. Die Mannschaft underwhelmed against Mexico and cannot afford another slip-up. But all is not well in the camp of the defending champions.

7.02am BST

Oh, and any England fanst getting antsy (geddit!?) about the Panama match needn’t worry. The result has already been foretold by a colony of clairvoyant formicidae in Barnsley.

6.58am BST

Alongside Stones in the centre of defence is the colossal Harry Maguire (AKA Slabhead), the kind of man any side would want in their line-up against the power and aggression of Panama.

6.55am BST

John Stones may not be a mainstay for Manchester City but he is becoming integral to Southgate’s plans for England.

6.50am BST

How about some England analysis? Although they don’t play their second match until tomorrow there’s plenty of talking points coming out of Gareth Southgate’s camp. Not least the starting XI for the clash with Panama.

“We obviously have competition for places, strength in depth, players that came off the bench and had an impact on the game the other day,” Southgate said. “I have to balance all those things out when I make a decision on the team. But to play with the freedom, the energy and the pace that we did [against Tunisia] was as good as anything I have seen in the tournament up to this point. The team performed as well as I can remember us playing with the ball in the first hour of the game. I don’t see us making too many changes to what we did.”

6.44am BST

The Museum of the Russian Academy of Arts in Saint Petersburg is hosting an art project by the Italian artist Fabrizio Birimbelli entitled Like the Gods. The project presents a series of more than 40 portraits of world football stars and coaches in historical uniforms.

This is fun. My personal highlight is George Best in the background of Paul Pogba’s portrait.

6.38am BST

Earlier on, when I said we’d hear more about the Swiss double-eagle celebration, well, here’s some more. It remains to be seen if the gestures crop up on Fifa’s disciplinary radar.

6.30am BST

“Paulo Dybala hit upon the truth in an interview earlier in the year: Messi is simply too good. Dybala said he found him almost impossible to play with because the temptation is always simply to give him the ball. At club levels players adapt; at national level, where there is less time and a greater range of talent in the squad, it is far more difficult. Everything goes through him and that makes Argentina predictable and susceptible to being frustrated by sides that pack the centre.”

6.29am BST

“There is no sign the that Argentinian Football Association can steer the path to a brighter future. For the past four years it has talked of rebuilding, restructuring and reforming but all it has managed to do is repeat, relive and reinforce the worst traits and attitudes. Perhaps most damagingly, it opened bids for a youth training project and chose one that was not even part of the bidding contest. Until 15 years ago the country had boasted, for the better part of a century, some of the best and most progressive child and adolescent development traditions in world football. That has been obliterated.”

6.27am BST

“Maradona cried. If the spirit of Argentinian machismo weeps, it’s fair game for everyone else, and so Argentinian journalists let it pour through their news and analysis immediately after match.”

6.25am BST

There is a surfeit of Argentinian pain on which to riff.

6.23am BST

Nigeria’s win sets up a showdown with Argentina. The two meet in the final round of Group D matches and the two-time World Cup winners requiring a win to be in with a chance of progressing to the knockout stage. Even then, an Iceland upset over Croatia could still put a spanner in the works.

6.15am BST

The other match from yesterday that we haven’t touched on saw Nigeria take a giant step towards the knockout phase with a 2-0 win over Iceland. It was a major improvement on Super Eagles’ first display and one worthy of the much-hyped kit.

6.12am BST

“Oil rig in Texas here,” emails Steven Winder, “so the matches start right after I finish a 12 hour tour. In any case, I can appreciate Pjotr van Rooijen’s complaint about punditry this year, but he should really appreciate that he doesn’t have Alexi Lalas giving his “in depth analysis”, such as, “Mexico needs to punch Germany on the nose!” In fairness, you could describe what they did in that fashion, but I doubt he knew what he meant going in. I don’t speak Spanish, but I’ve switched entirely over to the Telemundo broadcast for respite.”

In the Venn diagram of today’s themes, this is a bullseye.

6.03am BST

Naturally, much of the focus has been on Neymar (and not just for his pot noodle perm). Coach Tite is unperturbed though, confident his star man will find form the more minutes he gets under his belt.

5.59am BST

Elsewhere in Switzerland’s Group E, Brazil made very heavy weather of Costa Rica. Two late goals earned the three points but after two matches doubts remain over the Selecao’s form and they could well be on course for a round of 16 meeting with (insert dramatic ‘duh duh duhhhhhh’ music) Germany. The odds on that combination before the start of the tournament must have been at least 7-1.

5.54am BST

Like many of you it seems, Pjotr van Rooijen is unimpressed with the state of World Cup punditry on UK TV. “Phil Neville has appropriated the term ‘in and around the box’ and now just uses ‘in and around’ for everything,” he laments. “During the Germany – Mexico game he was saying ‘in and around the ball’ and ‘in and around Kroos,’ and that just doesn’t really work does it? You can be in the box, but can you be ‘in’ the ball? Can you be ‘in’ Kroos? I suppose you can, but not during a football match. In terms of punditry and co commentators, this might be the worst World Cup ever.”

5.51am BST

Before we forget VAR entirely, if VAR analysis is your thing, keep up to date with its progress here:

5.44am BST

Like Yury Gazinsky, Alastair Chivers is in early with the first email of the day. “Bloody hell mate,” he begins, “how are you up so early for the build up? My girlfriend has just left for China :( so that’s why I’m watching all the highlights at the moment. The Guardian better be getting you the best breakfast donuts or something!”

First of all, sorry about the absence of your girlfriend, although - on the bright side - it’s not the worst couple of weeks to be home alone. As for the donuts, it’s mid-afternoon here in Australia where The Guardian also has a presence. So, as much as I’d like to claim hardship, I deserve no pity. I may well do later this week though with the crucial Australia vs. Peru clash kicking off at midnight Down Under.

5.37am BST

Serbia were also denied a penalty despite the Swiss executing a two-man tackle that would not have been out of place in a rugby league international. Presumably the VAR operators were binge watching Peaky Blinders or something.

Apparently that isn't a foul pic.twitter.com/iVROH9CQb6

5.35am BST

Switzerland’s win arrived dripping in intrigue thanks to the Kosovar heritage of goalscorers Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka, controversy foreseen by Nick Ames.

5.28am BST

Ok, back to the football, yesterday’s action was surprisingly eventful. In particular Switzerland’s victory over Serbia that sees them take a big step towards qualifying out of Group E and puts Brazil at risk of finishing second in the group or even failing to reach the knockout stages at all.

5.23am BST

Sticking with fashion, because I know that’s why you tuned in, I’m sure it escaped the attention of nobody that Neymar sported his second striking haircut of Russia 2018 in yesterday’s late show against Costa Rica. I can only hope the Selecao superstar intends to manipulate his mane on a match-by-match basis throughout the tournament - and that Brazil make it all the way to the final. Imagine the possibilities...

5.17am BST

Speaking of Sampaoli, remember when the debate used to be suit or tracksuit? At this world cup it seems to have become suit with shirt or suit with t-shirt. Anyone who thinks the latter is a good look is dead to me.

5.09am BST

Hello everybody and welcome to the start of day 10 of Russia 2018, a day of reckoning for pre-tournament favourites Germany. Incredibly, by the close of business the reigning champions’ World Cup defence could be kaput.

As well as Germany vs. Sweden we have South Korea vs. Mexico, and Belgium vs. Tunisia to look forward to. There’s also the wins for Brazil, Switzerland and Nigeria to look back on from yesterday.

5.03am BST

Jonathan will be here shortly. In the meantime you can enjoy David Squires’ latest take on the World Cup shenanigans …

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