Just three hours after Saudi Arabia’s stunning upset over Argentina, Group D offered another surprising result as Tunisia held favored Denmark to a 0-0 draw during Tuesday’s World Cup action.
Tunisia, who has never advanced past the group stage, had a golden opportunity to open the scoring if not for a brilliant save by Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel on forward Issam Jebali.
However, a controversial moment occurred in stoppage time as Denmark was denied a penalty kick following a VAR review on what appeared to be a handball. Instead, Referee Cesar Arturo Ramos ruled a foul had occurred during the build-up and thus awarded Tunisia a free kick.
“We played too nervously and too slow, and we didn’t find ourselves in the first half,” said Denmark manager Kasper Hjulmand. “There was a period when we got into it, but we were never calm and comfortable, that came later in the game. There’s no doubt we played under par. [Qualifying from the group] has become complicated, but it’s not over. We are underway with the tournament, but our heads would have been a little higher with a better result.”
Next for Denmark is a match against defending champion France, while Tunisia battles Australia.
FanDuel Sportsbook currently has Denmark at +3700 odds to win the World Cup.
