Late Danes – but Tunisia get reprieve
TUNISIA survived a stoppage-time VAR penalty check to draw 0-0 with Denmark – the first goalless stalemate of the 2022 World Cup.
It looked as if it would be heartbreak for the African nation when Mexican referee Cesar Ramos went to the pitchside monitor at the Education City Stadium.
Christian Eriksen’s corner struck the arm of Yassine Meriah, but the ball had come off the chest of the Tunisia defender and referee Ramos stuck with his on-field decision.
Eriksen made a fairytale World Cup start with the Manchester United midfielder back at a major tournament 16 months after collapsing from a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020.
Denmark reached the semi-finals of that competition without their talisman, and head coach Kasper Hjulmand said on Monday his side had come to Qatar to win the World Cup.
But, for much of an absorbing contest, Denmark – ranked 10th in the world and 20 places above Tunisia – were knocked out of their stride by opponents with a point to prove.
Mohamed Drager gave the first sign of Tunisia’s intent with a deflected shot that flew just wide with Kasper Schmeichel rooted to the spot.
Issam Jebali had the ball in the net midway through the first period, but he had just strayed offside from Dylan Bronn’s pass and Tunisian celebrations were cut short.
Then Denmark were fortunate not to fall behind two minutes before the interval. This time there was no offside flag to deny Jebali as he went one-on-one with Schmeichel and attempted a dinked finish. The ball looked as if it would float over Schmeichel’s head but the former Leicester goalkeeper thrust up an arm to divert it around the post.
Tunisia applied more pressure at the start of the second half with pinball in the Danes’ penalty area ending with Bronn’s shot being deflected over.
Andreas Skov Olsen thought he had given Denmark the lead but Mikkel Damsgaard was well offside in the build-up,
Tunisia then had an amazing escape. Andreas Christensen directed Eriksen’s corner back across goal and Andreas Cornelius somehow failed to bundle the ball over the line from a yard out, instead touching it against a post.