Against Iran, England was unforgiving. The Three Lions were widely regarded as the favorites to win the World Cup, and they proved in the opening game that they would give it everything they had from the outset.
After a fantastic first half performance in which they maintained possession of the ball and created several chances while Iran simply defended at the back, Southgate's team went into the half with a sizable lead.
After only 10 minutes of play, the Iranians' match did not get off to the best of starts when Beiranvand needed medical attention after colliding heavily with Hosseini while attempting to catch Kane's cross. The goalkeeper attempted to continue, but was forced to be replaced by Hossein Hosseini.
