Egypt seal second place in Group G
Omar Marmoush will be playing knockout football at the World Cup after Egypt secured a 1-1 draw with Iran in Seattle on Friday. The result was enough to see the Pharaohs finish second in Group G.
It was a frantic opening in Washington state. Mahmoud Saber put Egypt ahead after just five minutes, only for Ramin Rezaeian to level nine minutes later. Both goals arrived inside the opening quarter-hour, setting the tone for a tense evening.
The draw meant both sides could still advance, but the night wasn't without its concerns. Mohamed Salah was withdrawn on 57 minutes with a hamstring problem, casting doubt on his availability for the knockout rounds.
Iran thought they'd snatched a winner deep into stoppage time when Shoja Khalilzadeh found the net, but a VAR review ruled him offside. The goal was overturned, leaving Iran to sweat on their fate as a potential third-placed qualifier.
As for Marmoush, it was a quiet afternoon by his standards. The City forward recorded an expected goals (xG) of just 0.04 and didn't manage a single shot on target. He completed 9 of 11 passes (82%) and had three touches in the opposition box. One of his four dribbles was successful.
Defensively, he chipped in with three contributions and won five of nine ground duels. Not a vintage display, but Egypt are through and that's what matters.
Data courtesy of FotMob.