World Cup 2018: Three early surprises in the Group Stage

Cristiano Ronaldo stole the headlines for scoring the first hattrick of the competition against Spain. During the match between Portugal and Spain, the two sides fought to a 3-3 draw, scoring six goals in total, which is the highest number of goals as of 17 June 2018. It was one of the most highly anticipated matches in the Group Stage as it could decide who would top the group at the end of the day.

With the limelight all on the big guns, some of the underdogs have impressed the world, showing an extremely talented and resilient side of them. One would have expected France to cruise to victory against a much weaker Australian side. However, Pogba and his team struggled and had to fight hard before they could secure the victory. At the same time, fans were expecting Messi and his team to work wonders against Iceland, who are participating in their first World Cup. Unfortunately, the Argentines could only get a point and allowed the Icelanders to get onto the scoresheet.

There had been lots of surprises and more could be coming in the rest of the competition. Looking at just the first four groups who had completed the first round of the group stage tie, there are three nations which have caught our attention. Here is a look at who the three countries are.

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#3 Russia

Golovin scored a stunning free-kick to cap off an impressive performance from his side

Russia was the underdogs in the competition as the host nation played against Saudi Arabia in the first match of World Cup 2018. Both were the two lowest ranked side and nothing much was expected. Despite that, Russia surprised many to put up a convincing 5-0 victory over their opponents.

Egypt and Uruguay were expected to advance into the next round. The latter emerged victorious after a late goal from Jose Gimenez. As things stand, Russia top Group A with a superior goal difference. The host country scored three goals after the break, including two during injury time. The best and most remarkable goal probably came from Aleksandr Golovin. The youngster scored directly from his free-kick, leaving everyone stunned as the stadium erupted in cheers.

No one had anticipated the opening match to consist of five goals which were all scored from the home side. Now, the Russians are due to face Egypt first before meeting Uruguay in the final tie of Group A. The certain victory surely gave the head coach, Stanislav Cherchesov, and his team the confidence to aim far and go far.

#2 Australia

Mooy did an excellent job in keeping Pogba quiet

Now, the Socceroos may not have gotten a single point from their opener against France. However, the team was close to achieving their aim. The Australians successfully contained the likes of Mbappe, Pogba, and Dembele. The French forwards simply could not find space in the box and the midfielders were frustrated.

Aaron Mooy and the rest of the midfielders did their job well in hunting for the ball and quickly closing down on the France national team. It was surprising to see Australia so tough to break down and resilient. Generally, Les Bleus were not creative or inspirational. Australia's performance would surely make Didier Deschamps reconsider his team's style of play and conviction in the competition.

Australia will still have to face Peru and Denmark. The Europeans secured all three points after a 1-0 victory. If the Socceroos are able to put up such a high-level performance once again, it is foreseeable that they can get a positive result from the remaining two fixtures.

#1 Iceland

Messi worked no wonders during the match

While the world was focusing on Lionel Messi's response to Ronaldo's hattrick, Iceland was focused on doing their job well. Ultimately, the team did exactly what they had to. Without registering a single shot in the second half, the Icelanders spent the whole 45 minutes staying in their own half to defend.

Argentina gave their opponents lots of pressure and tried all ways to break down the team. However, Iceland proved to be stubborn than many would have thought. When Messi was given the chance to regain the lead for his side, goalkeeper Halldorsson made the correct decision and saved the spot kick.

The Scandinavian country did not have to try many times. After conceding the first goal, Iceland responded well and quickly equalized through Finnbogason. It was Iceland's first World Cup goal in the history. After taking a point away from their toughest fixture, Iceland could get all three points against either Nigeria or Croatia. It seems like the debutants have the potential to go far this summer.