Kaliningrad, Russia • In a match neither team had to win, Belgium came out on top and took first place in its World Cup group with a 1-0 victory over England on Thursday.
Adnan Januzaj scored with a curling shot in the 51st minute on a night of little tension or attacking intent.
With the victory, Belgium gets what appears to be an easier match in the next round against Japan on Monday in Rostov-on-Don. England will face Colombia on Tuesday in Moscow.
Both teams had advanced to the round of 16 before the match.
Although Belgium was the winner of the group, it might have the tougher road to the final with Brazil, Portugal, France and Argentina possible future opponents. If England gets past Colombia, it could face Spain, Russia, Croatia, Denmark, Sweden or Switzerland on its way to a possible final.
Belgium is one of only three teams to advance to the knockout round with 3-0 records from the group stage. Croatia and Uruguay are the others.
England and Belgium made a combined 17 changes to their starting lineups to rest players for the knockout round. Harry Kane, the leading scorer at the tournament with five goals, was on the bench for England. So was Romelu Lukaku, who has scored four for Belgium.
Colombia advances while Senegal is eliminated by tiebreaker
Samara, Russia • Yerry Mina leapt high above defenders to score on a header in the 74th minute and Colombia defeated Senegal 1-0 on Thursday to advance to the World Cup knockout stage. Senegal became the first team ever eliminated by a new tiebreaker — number of yellow cards.
Poland defeated Japan 1-0 in the other group match. Japan and Senegal were tied on all tiebreakers except “fair play points,” based on yellow and red cards. Japan had four yellow cards, Senegal had six.
Colombia, which reached the quarterfinals four years ago in Brazil, finished atop its group and is the fourth South American team to advance. Senegal’s elimination means all five African teams are eliminated.
Colombia and Japan go on to face opponents from Group G — either England or Belgium, who play later Thursday.
Japan and Senegal were even on points, goal difference, goals scored, and they tied in their head-to-head meeting. If FIFA had not added the fair play tiebreaker for this World Cup, the two teams would have had to draw lots to determine which would advance.
Colombia is the only team in Russia to lose its opener — 2-1 to Japan — and make it to the round of 16. The Colombians appeared as to regain form with a 3-0 victory over Poland. James Rodriguez, the Bayern Munich star who was a substitute in the team’s opener because of a calf injury, set up two goals in that match.
But Colombia’s hopes appeared diminished when Rodriguez was replace by Luis Muriel because of an apparent injury in the 31st minute against Senegal. Teammate Radamel Falcao patted him on the back sympathetically as he headed to the sideline.
Rodriguez returned to the team bench in the second half, in time to see Mina’s header that gave Colombia the lead.
Tunisia tops Panama 2-1 for first World Cup win in 40 years
Saransk, Russia • Tunisia captain Wahbi Khazri set up a second-half goal and then scored one of his own to help his side secure its first victory in a World Cup in four decades.
The striker’s hard, rising shot in the 66th minute lifted Tunisia to a 2-1 triumph over Panama on Thursday night. It came 15 minutes after Khazri’s pinpoint square pass produced Fakhreddine Ben Youssef’s equalizer.
Panama had taken the lead in the 33rd minute through an own-goal when Jose Luis Rodriguez’s hard shot deflected off of Yassine Meriah, which sent the goalkeeper the wrong way.
Tunisia hadn’t won a World Cup game since a 3-1 victory over Mexico in 1978.
Both Group G teams were already eliminated going into the match.
