Japan and Senegal went toe to toe in an entertaining clash in Group H, but they couldn’t be separated after a back-and-forth 90 minutes in Ekaterinburg
The game started with Senegal looking the more threatening of the two sides, and Sadio Mane opened the scoring after Japanese goalkeeper Kawashima made a mess of dealing with a Sabaly cross-shot on the 10-minute mark. His attempt to palm the ball away cannoned off the Liverpool striker’s shins and into the net.
Japan struck back 11 minutes from the break when a long diagonal ball caught the Senegal defence flat-footed and Yuto Nagatomo cut the ball back for Takashi Inui, who curled the ball low into the far corner of the net.
Nagatomo to Inui brilliant goal for Japan. pic.twitter.com/hwAFGB3fAT
— InterYaSkriniar 🇧🇷🏴🇳🇬 (@InterYaSkriniar) June 24, 2018
Japan upped the tempo in the second half and threatened to take the lead.
Inui came close to adding a second on the 64-minute mark when he rounded off a sweeping counter-attack with a curling effort that hit the crossbar.
But Senegal wouldn’t be denied and, after a sustained period of pressure, right back Moussa Wague came charging in at the back post to fire high into the net.
Wagué finishes off a well-orchestrated play from Senegal who managed to get the ball towards the end line and pull it back for Wagué's far post run. #JPN #SEN pic.twitter.com/FQ6J21Nu4m
— The Athletic Soccer (@TheAthleticSCCR) June 24, 2018
Japan withdrew influential playmaker Shinji Kagawa for veteran star Keisuke Honda, and the change paid dividends with 12 minutes left on the clock as he fired into the net from Inui’s cutback to become the first Japanese international to score in three World Cups.
This game is wild! Japan equalize again thanks to Honda's strike at the back post. #JPN #SEN pic.twitter.com/8TLgCmEW0o
— The Athletic Soccer (@TheAthleticSCCR) June 24, 2018
The draw puts both sides joint-top of the group with four points with one game remaining in the group stages.
