(World Cup) Russia 2018 - Denmark slash Peru 1-0 in tight encounter

Denmark beat Peru 1-0 in theirWorld Cupgroupstage opener on Saturday after Christian Cueva blasted over a VAR-awarded penalty for the Peruvians in Saransk.

Christian Cueva was reduced to tears half-way through Peru’s1-0 defeat to Denmark after he missed a penalty while Yussuf Poulsen bounced back from conceding a first-half penalty to score thedecisive goal in the game.The RB Leipzig forward was deemed to have tripped Christian Cueva in the box when referee Bakary Gassama consulted VAR, but the Peru midfielder skied his spot-kick and left the field in tears at the end of a tense opening period.Denmark settled into thegame after the interval and the talismanic Christian Eriksen provided Poulsen with achance to turn his evening around in the 59th minute, and the 24-year-old made no mistake.

Paolo Guerrero came onfrom the bench following a successful appeal to suspend his 14-month drug ban cleared him to feature, but he could not turn the game in Peru’s favour.

Kasper Schmeichel denied Jefferson Farfan brilliantly with six minutes to go as Ricardo Gareca’s men gave a good account of themselves in their first World Cup match for 36 years, entertaining the hordes of South American fans who packed the Mordovia Arena.

France await Peru next, while Denmark will go into their game against Australia in confident mood after collecting three points.