Morocco gave Brazil a scare, but the match ended 1–1. Australia and Scotland won

Brazil and Morocco put on a show and drew 1–1. Australia pulled off a stunning victory, beating Montella’s Turkey 2–0. Haiti held out against Scotland’s onslaught and lost by the narrowest of margins, whilst on the evening of Saturday 13 June, Qatar snatched a last-gasp equaliser against Switzerland.

At Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Switzerland led for much of the match but failed to seal the win: in the 17th minute, Embolo converted a penalty, but the Swiss then built up play only to squander their territorial dominance, failing to capitalise on the many chances they created. The Qatari side deserve credit for staying in the game and, in the 94th minute, deep into stoppage time, they equalised through Khoukhi, who headed home from close range in one of their rare attacking moves.

At MetLife Stadium, one of the most eagerly anticipated matches of this first phase of the World Cup is taking place. Morocco lives up to expectations and starts the match with great aggression, putting Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil under pressure. The African champions, who reached the semi-finals at the last World Cup in Qatar, dominate for long spells with a technical and confident display, and take the lead in the 21st minute through Saibari, who cuts through the Brazilian defence with a lethal run. The goal woke Brazil up, and they responded by relying on their most talented player. In the 32nd minute, Vinícius Jr. cut into the box from the left and, with one of his trademark moves, bamboozled the defenders with a series of feints before slotting the ball into the far corner. The second half was more tactical, with few clear-cut chances and the balance holding until the final whistle.

The match between Scotland and Haiti, played at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, proved to be more evenly balanced than expected. Scotland were solid and organised, but lacked bite, and after breaking the deadlock in the 28th minute through McGinn, who slotted home from close range, they failed to build on their lead, content to manage the game carefully but without much flair. In contrast, Haiti grew in confidence as the match went on and, in the second half, put in a dynamic and courageous performance – let down only by a lack of precision – and even came close to equalising. Those expecting a Scottish rout were left disappointed.

At BC Place in Vancouver, the surprise of the day unfolded as Turkey dominated possession for long periods but failed to make an impact, leaving themselves vulnerable to Australia, who struck twice on the counter-attack: in the 27th minute, Irankunda broke the deadlock on the counter-attack, and in the 75th minute, Metcalfe doubled the lead with a similar move. The Australians proved themselves to be a compact and efficient side, capable of making the most of the chances they created, nullifying Turkey’s good organisation; despite the talent of Arda Güler and Yildiz, Turkey failed to break through and proved too vulnerable on the counter-attack.