🏆 Belgium overcome spirited Canada; Spain hit seven; Germany lose | OneFootball

We have reached day four of the World Cup and there are four more matches coming our way from Qatar today.

Follow it all live here.

Belgium overcome spirited Canada

Scorers: Batshuayi 44′

Missed penalty: Davies 10′

Belgium were second best throughout much of their match against Canada but walked away as 1-0 winners thanks to Michy Batshuayi’s first-half strike.

A bright start from the Canadians was rewarded after less than 10 minutes of play when Yannick Carrasco is judged to have used his arm to block Tajon Buchanan’s shot in the penalty area.

Alphonso Davies stepped up from the spot but the Bayern Munich defender’s tame effort was denied by an excellent save from Thibaut Courtois low to his right-hand side.

Canada were unable to capitalise on their first-half dominance before being caught out by a simple ball over the top of the defence as Batshuayi spun in behind Kamal Miller and, on the half-volley, sent a powerful shot beyond the diving Milan Borjan.

Despite maintaining pressure throughout the second period, Canada struggled to fashion clear goal scoring opportunities as an unconvincing Belgium held on to win their opening game.

Dominant Spain hit Costa Rica for seven

Scorers: Olmo 11′, Asensio 21′, Torres (PEN) 31′, 54′, Gavi 75′, Soler 90′, Morata 90+2′.

Spain got their campaign off to the perfect start after thrashing a poor Costa Rica side.

Luis Enrique’s men killed this game off in the first half – scoring three goals in the first 31 minutes.

Pedri’s dinked pass deflected into the path of Dani Olmo, who killed the ball with a smart touch before lifting it over Keylor Navas to break the deadlock.

Marco Asensio then doubled their advantage with a first-timed finish with his left foot from 14 yards out after being picked out by Jordi Alba before Ferran Torres made it three from the penalty spot.

There was no let up from La Roja in the second half with Torres taking advantage of some sloppy Costa Rica defending to sweep home his second from close range.

Gavi made it five 15 minutes from time, arriving late into the box to volley home Álvaro Morata’s cross via the help of the post to become the youngest goalscorer at a World Cup since Pele in 1958.

Substitute Carlos Soler reacted quickest to Navas parrying Nico Williams’ cross to make it six before Morata got in on the act in stoppage time to round off the victory with a placed finish after playing a one-two around the box with Olmo.

Spain, who have now achieved their biggest ever victory at a World Cup, meet Germany in their second game on Sunday.

Japan stun Germany with comeback

Scorers: Gündoğan (pen) 33′; Doan 75′, Asano 83′

Germany have lost their opening game at a second World Cup in a row after a superb second half comeback from Japan.

The Samurai Blue started strongly, having an early goal from Celtic’s Daizen Maeda ruled out for offside, before Germany took control in the first half.

Left-back David Raum a constant threat and he was decisive in winning a penalty on the half hour mark, as he turned in the box was brought down by Japan goalkeeper Shūichi Gonda. İlkay Gündoğan made no mistake from the spot, calmly placing the ball down the middle.

Harmless long-range efforts from Gündoğan and Jamal Musiala followed for Germany, who dominated the ball, before Joshua Kimmich did test the goalkeeper right on half-time. With his effort parried, Serge Gnabry’s rebound was tapped in by Kai Havertz, only for a VAR check to rule the goal out for offside.

Germany picked up where they left off in the second half, with Gnabry and Gündoğan each clipping the woodwork either side of a superb Musiala effort that ended with the ball blazed over the bar.

Jonas Hofmann and Serge Gnabry were next to test Gonda in goal but he was equal to their efforts from close range, with Japan still in the game as the closing stages approach.

And Germany were eventually made to pay for their profligacy as Japan’s subs added energy and made the difference. First a superb Manuel Neuer save was needed to deny Junya Ito before the rebound was fired over.

That, though, was just a warning and an equaliser arrived moments later. Some fine work down the left saw the ball flash across goal and Neuer parried the cross right to Ritsu Doan, who fired home.

They weren’t done there and caught the favourites’ backline out with a long ball aimed at Takuma Asano. The forward gave chase and held off Nico Schlotterbeck before firing beyond Manuel Neuer from a tight angle.

Germany brought on Mario Götze, then strikers Niclas Füllkrug and Youssoufa Moukoko, but could not create a clear chance as the four-time world champions sunk to a shock defeat.

Group F opener ends in stalemate

Morocco and Croatia played out the third goalless draw of the World Cup so far to kick-off day four of the tournament.

Despite a noisy atmosphere at Al Bayt Stadium, chances for both sides were at a premium and neither ever truly looked like breaking the deadlock.

And it was more bad news for Bayern Munich, with Noussair Mazraoui forced to go off injured for Morocco in the second half.

Both teams exchanged blows in a tight opening period, with Ivan Perišić firing over the bar for Croatia and Hakim Ziyech blasting a free-kick into the wall for Morocco.

The clearest opening of the first half came just before half-time, when Croatia forward Nikola Vlašić forced Morocco goalkeeper Bono into a reaction save from close range.

Morocco were dealt a blow in the second half when left-back Mazraoui had to limp off injured. Yahia Attiyat Allah came on to replace him.

Achraf Hakimi then stung the palms of Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livaković with a fiercely struck free-kick, but 0-0 was how it finished.