The prospect of one of the most tantalising World Cup showdowns ever is hanging in the balance after Colombia snatched a late 1-0 win over DR Congo in Guadalajara, moving top of Group K and threatening Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal.
Crystal Palace wing-back Daniel Munoz fired home the winner in the 76th minute — a low shot that took a significant deflection off a Congolese defender — to break DR Congo hearts and send Colombia fans into raptures. The result leaves Colombia on six points from two matches, guaranteeing their place in the last 32 with a game to spare, while Portugal have managed only four points after their 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan earlier on Tuesday.
“Colombia beat DR Congo 1-0 to top Group K, putting Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal at risk and threatening a Messi-Ronaldo World Cup quarterfinal.”
To set up a potential quarter-final clash between Lionel Messi and Ronaldo, both Argentina and Portugal would need to top their respective groups. Argentina have done their part, securing top spot in Group J with victories over Austria and Algeria, thanks to five goals from Messi across the two games. But now Ronaldo and his teammates must beat Colombia outright in their final group game to keep the possibility of that dream match-up alive.
Colombia dominated possession and created the better chances throughout, but were repeatedly denied by DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, who produced a series of saves — eight in total — to keep out efforts from James Rodriguez, Luis Diaz and Jhon Arias. The breakthrough finally arrived when Juan Quintero’s pass found Munoz surging into the penalty area, his deflected finish leaving Mpasi with no chance.
The win could have been even more convincing for Colombia, with Bayern Munich winger Luis Diaz having the ball in the back of the net twice — once ruled out for offside and once for a foul. The frustrated winger smacked the ground in anger after both were disallowed. DR Congo remained on one point and will need a result against Uzbekistan to keep their qualification hopes alive.