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Wow! That was a wonderful game of football. Peru roared out of the traps and threatened to overwhelm Denmark, who took 15 or 20 minutes to settle into the game. Having got a penalty on the back of a VAR consultation just before half-time, Peru playmaker Christian Cueva proceeded to blast the ball over the bar.
Denmark took the lead courtesy of a classic counter-attack in the second half, with Christian Eriksen teeing up Yussef Poulsen for a clinical finish. Peru huffed and puffed but couldn’t score despite their best attempts. Cueva is quite clearly heartbroken and his team-mates have raliied around him. They and their fans in Russia and at home should be very, very proud.
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Full-time: Peru 0-1 Denmark
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeep! It’s all over and Peru have been beaten on their return to the World Cup after 36 years. Denmark take all three points and were quite lucky to do so.
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90+5 min: Peru thwart a Denmark counter-attack and pile forward again - this is fantastically exciting! They win a throw-in deep in Denmark territory.
90+4 min: Peru win a corner, which Schmeichel punches towards the far touchline.
90+3 min: Yussuf Poulsen is booked after taking one for the team with a cynical trip as Peru advance into Denmark territory.
90+2 min: Denmark win a couple of throw-inas which they’re in no big rush to take. They go on to win a corner, which I expect won’t be taken too quickly either.
90 min: We approach the knockings, with Peru still desperately searching for that elusive equaliser. In my completely biased opinion they’ve been very, very unlucky. A point is the very least they deserve and they should probably be winning comfortably.
Peru substitutions: Ruidiaz and Aquina on for Farfan and Tapia.
86 min: Eriksen brings a good save out of Gallese with a left-footed effort, moments before Thomas Delaney is booked for hauling somebody or other to the floor.
84 min: Peru go close again, but Farfan fails to get hold of an inviting Carillo pull-back from the right from Carillo, who shows a blistering turn of pace just to get to the ball. He puts it on a plate for Farfan, whose fairly weak effort from 15 yards is blocked by Schmeichel.
81 min: Denmark substitution: Matthias “Zanka” Jorgensen on for Andreas Christensen, who hobbles off in some discomfort.
78 min: SO CLOSE!!! A brilliant attacking move from Peru ends with Cueva beating two men and picking out Guerrera in the Denmark penalty area. With his back to goal and a man on, he tries to find the bottom right-hand corner with a back-heel from 12 or more yards out. With Kasper Schmeichel beaten, the ball rolls agonisingly wide. When your luck’s out ...
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75 min: Peru plug on gamely, looking for an equaliser few could begrudge them. Of course the big worry for them now is that they could get caught on the break again as they commit men forward.
73 min: Eriksen wins a corner for Denmark to earn some much-needed respite. He raises his right hand and fails to beat the first man standing just 10 yards away. His dead ball delivery has been uncharacteristically poor tonight.
71 min: Desperate defending required from Denmark, as Poulsen stretches every sinew to prevent a cross from the right being headed home by Guerrero. Peru’s captain is proving a real handful.
70 min: Farfan is centimetres away from nodding home an Alberto Rodriguez header across the face of goal.
68 min: Denmark substitution: Pione Sisto off, Middlesbrough’s Martin Braithwaite on.
66 min: Guerrero has taken no time at all to settle into this game and is giving Denmark’s defence plenty to think about. But back to Poulsen’s goal - his finish was sublime after being played in by Eriksen. As Gallese emerged to narrow the angle the Dane slotted the ball inside the near post.
64 min: Guerrero heads straight into Schmeichel’s breadbasket from 10 yards out after getting on the end of a cross.
63 min: Peru substitution: Edison Flores, who has been excellent this evening, makes way for the Big Dawg. Peru captain Paolo Guerrero replaces him.
62 min: Peru almost restore parity straight away, but a strong hand from Kasper Schmeichel keeps out a goalbound effort from Edison Flores. That’s a fine save.
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60 min: Heartbreak for Peru, as Yussuf Poulsen slots the ball past Pedro Gallese from a tight angle after being teed up Christian Eriksen. That was a textbook counter-attack from Denmark, who found themselves with a three-on-three on the break.
GOAL! Peru 0-1 Denmark (Poulsen 58)
Denmark take the lead with a goal scored on the break.
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56 min: A wonderful move from Peru breaks down when Edison Flores trips over his own feet while trying to control a ball sqaured across the Denmark penalty area from Christian Cueva. Cueva had got in behind the Denmark defence there and looked to give up a decent shooting opportunity of his own to try to pick out a team-mate instead. The flag went up, but it shouldn’t have.
54 min: Having been completely dominated in the opening stages of the first half, Denmark are bossing the early stages of the second. Are Peru’s players dwelling on that missed penalty just before half-time? Hopefully not.
53 min: Free-kick for Denmark on the right, between the touchline and the right side of the Peruvian penalty area. Christian Eriksen’s delivery is atrocious and Peru have a goal-kick.
52 min: Jens Larsen tries a shot from distance after a period of sustained Danish possession. His effort sails into orbit.
49 min: Christian Cueva plays a long, weighted pass forward down the inside right for Farfan to chase. Andreas Christensen is able to keep up and avert the danger despite the Peruvian’s speed.
48 min: Denmark are bossing proceedings early in the second half without finding an opening. Pione Sisto plays the ball towards Jorgensen at the far post, but the Peru defence step out and the Denmark striker finds himself well offside.
Second half: Peru 0-0 Denmark
46 min: Play has resumed with no changes of personnel on either side.
Half-time: Peru 0-0 Denmark
Peeeeep! The deadlock remains unbroken at half-time in a very entertaining match indeed. Peru had the best chance of the game, getting a penalty after a VAR consultation by referee Bakary Gassama in added time, only for Christian Cueva to Waddle the ball over the bar with one of the worst penalties you’ll ever see. His team-mates gather round him to sympathise as he leaves the field for the interval.
45+2 min: From a corner, Yussuf Poulsen heads wide of the Peru goal.
CUEVA'S MISSED IT!!!
45+1 min: Christian Cueva hesitates in his run-up, sends Kasper Schmeichel the wrong way and proceeds to sky his effort from 12 yards over the bar. That was awful.
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PENALTY FOR PERU!!!
Yussuf Poulsen pulled the legs out from under Flores, play went on and when it stopped, referee Bakary Gassama consulted the men in Moscow. He’s made the right decision.
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43 min: Penalty?!?!?!?!? I think Peru have been denied a certain penalty there with Edison Flores having the feet pulled form under him in the Denmark area. Referee Gassama is having a look at the TV.
41 min: Peru struggle to defend a high diagonal ball into their penalty area and a poor defensive header leads to Thomas Delaney lashing a low diagonal across the face of goal. Poulsen stretches every sinew but can’t get a touch to poke it home.
38 min: OK, it was a little right of centre, but Eriksen steps up and buries the ball straight into the wall. It breaks to Schone, whose shot doesn’t trouble Pedro Gallese in the Peru goal unduly.
37 min: Renato Tapia brings down Sisto on the edge of the Peru penalty area and gets booked. Denmark have a free-kick in prime Eriksen real estate, straight in front of goal.
36 min: Schone gets his first touch and immediately gives the ball away to Edison Flores, who darts upfield. Denmark win the ball back and the sub’s blushes are spared.
34 min: Denmark substitution: William Kvist leaves the arena on a stretcher and is replaced by Ajax midfielder Lasse Schone.
33 min: It looks like the jig might be up for Denmark central midfielder William Kvist, who is receiving further treatment on that rib injury he suffered a few moments ago. He adjourns to the sideline for more medical attention and Denmark are temporarily down to 10 men.
31 min: Good defending. Simon Kjaer does very well to track a Jefferson Farfan sprint into the penalty area and block the ensuing shot.
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29 min: Carillo wins a corner for Peru when hjis rasping drive from a narrow angle is deflected wide. The corner is taken short and nothing comes of it.
28 min: There’s a break in play as William Kvist gets treatment after shipping a knee to the ribs while challenging for a high ball with Jefferson Farfan.
27 min: Thomas Delaney advances with the ball and tries a shot from distance. His effort sails high over the cross-bar.
25 min: Eriksen picks up the ball on the right flank and sends in a cross., He completely overcooks his delivery and Peru win possession.
23 min: Denmark are gradually finding their feet, enjoying a period of dominance but without creating anything in the way of a chance.
18 min: Denmark earn some respite after Thomas Delaney wins them a corner. Christian Eriksen whips the ball into the area, where Peru goalkeeper Pedro Gallese punches it clear.
16 min: Good tackle from Andreas Christenson on the edge of the penalty area after he’s forced to dive in and dispossess Peru right-back Luis Advincula, who had turned on the afterburners and left the Chelsea man in his dust as Peru attacked on the break. Advincula appeals for a penalty, but none is forthcoming.
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14 min: Peru win a corner after a Renato Tapia shot is deflected wide. Miguel Trauco sends the ball into the area and Alberto Rodriguez heads wide. Denmark have barely had a touch yet.
12 min: Brilliant play from Andre Carillo, who’s been outstanding down the right wing for Peru thus far. He ghosts past Sisto, cuts inside and unleashes a venomous low, curling shot that’s heading for the bottom left-hand corner. Kasper Schmeichel gets down well to save.
11 min: Another long range effort from Peru. This time it’s Edison Flores who tries his luck, but he’s leaning back as he shoots and the ball flies high over the cross-bar.
9 min: Almost 10 minutes in and Denmark must feel like they’re being attacked by a swarm of bees. Peru move the ball around so, so quickly. Denmark haven’t settled into this game yet and on the UK TV coverage, Kevin Kilbane says they need to get Christian Eriksen into the game as quickly as possible.
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8 min: For Peru, Yoshimar Yotun unleashes a fierce drive from all of 30 yards. Kasper Schmeichel saves comfortably.
7 min: Christian Cueva is already showing some lovely touches and vision. The Sao Paulo playmaker will be pulling the strings for Peru today.
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5 min: Simon Kjaer is forced to hook the ball clear from his own penalty area, under pressure from Jefferson Farfan, who’s up front for Peru today.
4 min: Peru have started this match at an absolutely ferocious lick. They look incredibly quick.
2 min: Watford’s Andre Carillo gets on the ball on the right touchline as Peru begin the game spraying the ball from flank to flank. It’s crossed to Andre Carillo at the far post and he does well to keep it in play, hooking the ball back into the penalty area. Christian Cueva goes down and there’s an appeal for a penalty, but referee Bakary Gassama waves play on.
Peru v Denmark is go!!!
1 min: Denmark get the ball rolling, their players wearing red shirts, shorts and socks. Peru wear their iconic white shirts with the red sash, white shorts and white socks. I am really looking forward to this match, the seventh I’ve watched in three days.
Warning: What with South America’s representatives in this game having famously nice shirts and Denmark here after walloping my brave Irish boys in the play-off to get to Russia 2018, there is a sporting chance this commentary may contain minor, subconscious traces of pro-Peruvian bias. Kick-off ahead of their win is just moments away.
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Not long now: The teams make their way out of the tunnel, with Denmark enjoying a noticeable and unsurprising height advantage over their Peruvian opponents. No doubt it’s something they’ll attempt to exploit during the game - they have six players over six foot tall in their starting line-up. Peru have none. My thanks to my colleague Stuart James for that interesting nugget of trivia.
Confession time: I don’t think I have ever seen Peru play a football match before. In fact, until about three weeks ago, my entire knowledge of Peruvian football was ...
... with a side-dish of ...
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Paolo Guerrero on the bench for Peru
Having fought to hard to have a rather harsh drug ban overturned – with the help of his fellow Group C skippers from France, Denmark and Australia, who spoke up on his behalf – so he could take his place in Peru’s squad, talismanic captain Paolo Guerrero has to make do with a place on the bench for their opener against Denmark. Peru manager Ricardo Gareca declared Guerrero to be “very, very fit” and “really ready to play”, but has opted to leave him on the bench here.
Peru v Denmark line-ups
Peru: Gallese, Advincula, Rodriguez, Ramos, Trauco, Tapia, Yotun, Carrillo, Cueva, Flores, Farfan.
Subs: Caceda, Corzo, Santamaria, Araujo, Hurtado, Guerrero, Ruidiaz, Polo, Cartagena, Loyola, Aquino, Carvallo.
Denmark: Schmeichel, Dalsgaard, Kjaer, Christensen, Larsen, Kvist, Eriksen, Delaney, Poulsen, Nicolai Jorgensen, Sisto.
Subs: Lossl, Krohn-Dehli, Vestergaard, Knudsen, Braithwaite, Dolberg, Mathias Zanka Jorgensen, Fischer, Lerager, Schone, Cornelius, Ronnow.
Referee: Bakary Gassama (Gambia)
Today's referee
Bakary Papa Gassama is the man in the middle today. The 39-year-old Gambian has been Fifa-listed since 2007 and is a veteran of three African Cup of Nations, including the 2015 final won by Ivory Coast. Having reffed at last year’s Confederations Cup, Gassama has prior experience of using VAR and admits that, while helpful it has plenty of room for improvement.
“VAR is very advantageous, because it is good for football now,” he told the BBC in an interview. “Now, we are in learning process - people have to understood that. It is just like a new job: before you understand it, it will take some time. As time goes on, with this new technology, many referees and many VARs will understand better.”
Saransk belongs to Peru... pic.twitter.com/cHsnjtM0AK
— Stuart James (@StuartJamesGNM) June 16, 2018
Group C: Peru v Denmark
Following France’s unconvincing 2-1 win over Australia, Peru take on Denmark in the second of today’s Group C matches. Despite only being in Russia after scraping past a vastly superior Republic of Ireland team in a play-off, Denmark are favourites to beat a Peru side contesting their first World Cup finals since 1982. They may have their work cut out to beat a South American side that have lost just two of their past 28 matches and brought upwards of 50,000 fans on the 4,000+ mile trip to Russia for their first World Cup adventure in 36 years.
