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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Wolverine GTR" data-source="post: 23331874" data-attributes="member: 158020"><img src="/styles/default/xenforo/smilies/default/love.gif"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":love:" title="Love    :love:" data-shortname=":love:" />Iran 0 Spain 1: Costa goal breaks stubborn resistance<img src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/06/20/20/4D7560EE00000578-5866743-image-a-28_1529522232795.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />A fortuitous Diego Costa goal helped Spain overcome a dogged Iran to secure a 1-0 win in their World Cup Group B clash in Kazan.Carlos Queiroz's side produced a defensive masterclass to reduce  Spain to nothing more than half-chances during a hugely frustrating  opening 53 minutes for the 2010 champions. Costa  - who scored twice in Friday's pulsating 3-3 draw with Portugal -  eventually found the breakthrough, though, when Ramin Rezaeian's  attempted clearance cannoned off his leg and into the  bottom-left corner.Iran  had the ball in the back of the net just eight minutes later courtesy  of Saeid Ezatolahi, but their wild celebrations were cut short after  referee Andres Cunha was advised by VAR that Rezaeian's vital  intervention had been made from an offside position.Iran's  approach was far more positive following Costa's strike, Mehdi Taremi  heading just over from close range in what was their clearest  opportunity to find an unlikely leveller. The win moves Spain  level on points with Portugal at the top of Group B and they know a draw  against Morocco on Monday will be enough to secure qualification for  the knockout stages. Iran, meanwhile, face Portugal on the same day  needing a win to progress at the expense of Cristiano Ronaldo and Co.Spain handed a 100th cap to Gerard Pique, with Dani Carvajal and  Lucas Vazquez the only new faces from the side that drew against  Portugal. Any thoughts that Iran would be blown away by their more  illustrious opponents soon dissipated as their expertly drilled defence  comfortably rebuffed wave after wave of Spanish attack in the opening  stages.Fernando Hierro's side had to wait until the 25th minute  for their first attempt on goal, David Silva's long-range free-kick  comfortably held by Alireza Beiranvand.The Manchester City  midfielder came closer to breaking the deadlock five minutes later, but  his hooked volley sailed narrowly over the crossbar from six yards out.Spain's  frustration was in danger of boiling over shortly before the interval  when Costa got involved in an unnecessary spat with Beiranvand, although  referee Cunha opted not to punish the combative striker.Iran's resistance was nearly broken twice in quick succession at the start of the second period.First,  Pique's close-range effort was blocked and then Beiranvand palmed away  Sergio Busquets' curled effort from the edge of the penalty area.The  Asian side almost scored the most unlikely of openers when Karim  Ansarifard's instinctive effort from a corner flashed into David De  Gea's side netting.That near-miss was brought into sharp focus  less than 60 seconds later when Costa picked up Andres Iniesta's pass  inside the area and saw Rezaeian's attempted clearance ricochet off his  leg and past the helpless Beiranvand.Ezatolahi thought he had pulled Iran level shortly after the hour but  his close-range finish after a scramble was ruled out courtesy of VAR  after Rezaeian had strayed into an offside position.Taremi's back-post header fizzed over De Gea's crossbar seven  minutes from time as Iran pushed for an equaliser, but Spain held on for  a 1-0 win they certainly deserved.</blockquote>

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