2018 FIFA World Cup Group G

In the round of 16: • The winners of Group G, Belgium, advanced to play the runners-up of Group H, Japan. • The runners-up of Group G, England, advanced to play the winners of Group H, Colombia. ==Matches==

All times listed are local time. Yannick Carrasco and Dries Mertens forced early saves from goalkeeper Jaime Penedo. Eden Hazard hit the side-netting after pouncing on a loose backpass from Román Torres. Hazard fired wide in the 26th minute and was left hobbling by heavy challenges from Michael Amir Murillo and Torres. Hazard then shook off the blows and forced Penedo into a save with his legs. After a goalless first half, Mertens steered in a right-foot volley from the right of the penalty area to give Belgium the lead. Kevin De Bruyne almost doubled the lead but narrowly missed the target with a 25-yard free-kick that curled away from Penedo's right-hand post. Belgium doubled their lead in the 69th minute after Romelu Lukaku scored with a diving header after a cross from the left by Kevin De Bruyne. Lukaku then added a third with a chipped finish from the left of the penalty area after a through ball from Hazard. Tunisia vs England The two teams had met in two matches, including one game at the 1998 FIFA World Cup group stage, an England 2–0 victory. England scored in the 11th minute when Mouez Hassen stopped a John Stones' header from a corner from the left, but could not save a Harry Kane follow-up from close range. Hassen was substituted four minutes later for Farouk Ben Mustapha due to an injury earlier in the game, after he had a collision with Jesse Lingard. Lingard then mishit a volley from Ashley Young's cross to the far post. After 10 minutes, Ferjani Sassi equalised from the penalty spot after Kyle Walker was penalised for an elbow on Fakhreddine Ben Youssef. Kane had an appeal for a penalty waved away within five minutes of the restart as he was seemingly impeded by a pair of Tunisia players at a corner. In the additional time, Harry Maguire flicked a Kieran Trippier corner from the right into the path of Kane, who headed it inside the goal after being left free at the back post. England scored more than once for the first time in 10 World Cup matches, since a 2–2 draw against Sweden in 2006. Kane became the first England player to score a brace in a World Cup match since Gary Lineker against Cameroon in 1990. Lukaku became the first player since Diego Maradona to score back-to-back braces in consecutive world cup games. Hazard's penalty was Belgium's second quickest goal in a World Cup match (5:59), behind only Léopold Anoul's goal against England in 1954, in the fifth minute. For Tunisia, it has registered as their worst defeat ever in their World Cup history. England vs Panama The two teams had never met before. The result ensured that both England and Belgium would advance to the knockout stage, while Tunisia and Panama would be eliminated at the group stage. Gary Lineker was the last England player before Kane to notch more than one goal in consecutive World Cup matches, 32 years ago. At Mexico 1986, Lineker followed up a hat-trick against Poland with a brace against Paraguay. This was England's biggest win at a major tournament. Stones became the first England defender to score two goals in a World Cup match. Kane is the first player to score at least twice in both of his first two World Cup appearances since Grzegorz Lato of Poland in 1974. Kane is the third England player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup match, after Geoff Hurst against Germany in the 1966 final and Gary Lineker against Poland in 1986. England vs Belgium The two teams had met in 21 matches, including two matches at the World Cup, one round of 16 game at the 1990 FIFA World Cup which ended in a 1–0 victory for England, and one group stage game at the 1954 FIFA World Cup which ended in a 4–4 draw. Jordan Pickford kept out a long-range drive from Youri Tielemans before the goalkeeper was rescued by Gary Cahill's goal-line clearance after the ball squirmed out of his grasp. In the 51st minute, Adnan Januzaj cut in from the right and hit a left foot shot into the top left corner of the net. Jamie Vardy sent Marcus Rashford through on goal in the 66th minute, but the striker's effort was turned wide of the post by a touch from Thibaut Courtois. This 1–0 victory ended Belgium's 82-year winless run against England which dates back to a friendly played in Brussels on 9 May 1936. The scoreline was 3–2 on that occasion. This is the first World Cup match (other than 0–0 draws) in which England failed to score since a 1–0 loss to Portugal in 1986. Panama vs Tunisia The two teams had never met before. Tunisia won a World Cup match after 40 years, since their 3–1 victory over Mexico in 1978. Panama became the first nation since Serbia & Montenegro and Togo in 2006 to lose each of their first three World Cup games. Panama's goal means this is the first World Cup tournament in which every side has scored at least two goals in the competition. Meriah's own goal was the 50th in World Cup history. ==Discipline==

Fair play points would have been used as tiebreakers if the overall and head-to-head records of teams were tied. These were calculated based on yellow and red cards received in all group matches as follows: • first yellow card: minus 1 point; • indirect red card (second yellow card): minus 3 points; • direct red card: minus 4 points; • yellow card and direct red card: minus 5 points; Only one of the above deductions were applied to a player in a single match. ==See also==