World Cup 2022 – Wales 0 Iran 0 LIVE SCORE: Iran opener chalked offside handing Wales a lifeline as Williams fires over | The Sun

WALES are taking on Iran in Group B and Rob Page's side thought they were behind before the offside flag ruled out what Iran believed to be an opener.

Page's Wales have started slowly but Nottingham Forest wing-back Neco Williams saw a shot sail over the bar just minutes in.

Sardar Azmoun has since registered the first shot on target, picking the ball up on the edge of the box before firing into the hands of Wayne Hennessey.

And Kieffer Moore was unlucky not to open the scoring, seeing his shot denied from inside the Iran penalty area.

Iran had the ball in the back of the net through Ali Gholizadeh, but thankfully for Wales he was deemed to be offside.

  • Start time: 10am UK time
  • TV: BBC One
  • Live stream: BBC iPlayer
  • Wales XI: Hennessey, Roberts, Davies, Mepham, Rodon, Williams,Ramsey, Ampadu, Wilson, Bale, Moore
  • Iran XI: Sayed Hosseini, Rezaeian, Pouraliganji, Mohammadi, Majid Hosseini, Hajsafi, Gholizadeh, Ezatolahi, Noorollahi, Azmoun, Taremi

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  • Tom Chambers

    Wales 0 – 0 Iran

    32, The free kick didn't beat the first man and is easily cleared by Iran.

    That sequence summed up Wales in the first half hour here.

  • Tom Chambers

    Wales 0 – 0 Iran

    31, Wales earn a free kick for a late tackle on Ampadu by Ezatolahi.

    A chance for Wales to swing the ball into the box here.

  • Tom Chambers

    Wales 0 – 0 Iran

    29, Iran are being very aggressive in defence.

    More than once they've bulldozed through the Wales player in possession.

    They certainly seem hyped up for this one.

  • Tom Chambers

    Wales 0 – 0 Iran

    27, We've got a stoppage in play here as Azmoun needs some treatment after Rodon's tackle.

    He doesn't look happy but it seems as though he's going to try and run it off.

  • Tom Chambers

    Wales 0 – 0 Iran

    26, Iran are almost in again but Rodon makes a good slide tackle as the last man to dispossess Azmoun.

    Iran would be three goals up already if it wasn't for Rodon.

  • Tom Chambers

    Wales 0 – 0 Iran

    23, Azmoun beats Joe Rodon to the ball at the back post but heads wide from Rezaeian's free kick.

  • Tom Chambers

    Wales 0 – 0 Iran

    22, Bale gives the ball away cheaply near the halfway line and that sets Iran off on the break again.

    Wales are all over the place here.

  • Tom Chambers

    Wales 0 – 0 Iran

    20, Wales' performance so far is reminiscent of their first half showing against the USA last Monday.

  • Tom Chambers

    Wales 0 – 0 Iran

    16, Some excellent interplay eventually provided Gholizadeh the chance to tap the ball in at the near post but a VAR check showed that he had just strayed offside.

    That was a big let off for Rob Page's side.

  • Tom Chambers

    Wales 0 – 0 Iran

    16, Iran think they've scored an opener but it's ruled out for offside!

  • Tom Chambers

    Wales 0 – 0 Iran

    12, Great chance for Kieffer Moore!

    Moore gets across his man at the front post and stretches out his right leg to meet Connor Roberts' cross.

    Hosseini shows quick reactions to save Moore's shot and keep the scores level.

  • Tom Chambers

    Wales 0 – 0 Iran

    11, Wales need to get their foot on the ball and relieve some of the pressure that their defenders have been under.

    These are the situations where you really notice the absence of Joe Allen at the heart of midfield.

  • Tom Chambers

    Wales 0 – 0 Iran

    8, Iran are finding plenty of space around the Wales penalty area.

    Some good interplay on the edge of the box almost sends Taremi in behind but again Rodon does just enough to deny the Iran forward.

  • Tom Chambers

    Wales 0 – 0 Iran

    6, Joe Rodon does well to beats Taremi to a header.

    Iran's delivery into the box from wide positions has looked dangerous so far.

  • Tom Chambers

    Wales 0 – 0 Iran

    5, Hajisafi tries to find Gholizadeh with a chip over the Wales back line but there's just too much power behind the pass and the ball rolls through for Wayne Hennessey to collect.

  • Tom Chambers

    Wales 0 – 0 Iran

    3, Harry Wilson runs onto a flick on from Kieffer Moore and lays the ball back for Neco Williams to shoot from range.

    It flies high and wide of the Iranian goal but that was some positive play from Wales early on.

  • Tom Chambers

    Wales 0 – 0 Iran

    1, Wales set up in their 3-5-2 formation while Carlos Quieroz has arranged Iran in a 4-4-2.

    Iran are enjoying an early spell of possession here.

  • Tom Chambers

    Kick off: Wales 0 – 0 Iran

    Peep! Referee Mario Escobar blows his whistle and Aaron Ramsey gets us underway.

    Should be a cracker!

  • Tom Chambers

    Iran anthem

    Unlike the England game, the Iranian players have decided to sing the national anthem and they are doing so amid a chorus of boos from the Iran fans in the stadium.

    In a tournament notable for a variety of political gestures, the Iranian players decision to come out in support of protesters back home ahead of the first match received a lot of praise.  

  • Tom Chambers

    Wales anthem

    Wales can lay claim to having one of the best national anthems in the world and the Red Wall are about to belt it out here with all the passion they can muster.  

    Welsh fans in the stands were crying as they sang Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau ahead of the game against the USA so expect more of the same here.

  • Tom Chambers

    Players in the tunnel

    Both sets of players are in the tunnel and are about ot make their way out onto the pitch at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.

    Kick off is right around the corner!

  • Tom Chambers

    World Cup top scorers

    Now that every team has played once in this World Cup we can take a glance at the top scorers in the tournament so far.

    Iran’s Mehdi Taremi is the joint-leading scorer with Enner Valencia, Bukayo Saka, Richarlison, Ferran Torres and Olivier Giroud on 2 goals.

  • Tom Chambers

    Martin Blackburn’s preview

    D-day for Wales has arrived.

    A point against the USA – thanks to Gareth Bale’s late spot-kick – felt like a decent result in the circumstances.

    But anything but a win against Iran will almost certainly end their hopes of making it out of Group B and into the knock-out stages.

    Coach Rob Page has – not surprisingly – made one change to his starting line-up by starting with Kieffer Moore, who made such a difference as a second half sub on Monday.

    No doubt he will have noticed how Iran struggled with the high balls during their 6-2 defeat against England with Harry Maguire causing them a world of problems.

    Page will be hoping his key men Bale and Aaron Ramsey can overcome a lack of club matches recently and go again for the second time in four days.

    Another factor will be the heat – it was 29 degrees on the way into the stadium and Page moved their training sessions to lunchtime to prepare for it.

    Wales will hope the air con is working at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium because the heat is really on now.

  • Tom Chambers

    Harry Redknapp on Bale

    Harry Redknapp is well placed to give an opinion on Gareth Bale.

    The winger, who started life as a left back, became a star under Redknapp during first spell at White Hart Lane.

    Bale’s former manager and SunSport World Cup columnist said: “I’d now rate him alongside John Charles as the greatest Welsh footballer of all time — and as someone who saw the Gentle Giant play, I never thought I’d say that.”

  • Tom Chambers

    Score predictor

    This game is a difficult one to call.

    Wales were poor in the first half against the USA but they do have that X factor in Gareth Bale.

    Iran will need to be better defensively than they were against England but they have the tournament's joint top scorer – Mehdi Taremi.

    What do you think the score will be? You could win £5,000 if you get it right…

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