Colombia 3-1 Uzbekistan: Diaz stars as Cannavaro's defensive wall crumbles at the Azteca

Colombia opened their 2026 World Cup Group K run with a hard-fought 3-1 triumph implicit Uzbekistan astatine the Azteca Stadium successful Mexico City precocious connected Wednesday, with Daniel Munoz, Luis Diaz and Jaminton Campaz each connected people for the South Americans.

The effect leaves Colombia good placed successful Group K alongside Portugal and DR Congo, who were held to a draw earlier successful the evening. Uzbekistan depart without a constituent contempt penning their ain portion of history, Abbosbek Fayzullaev netting his nation's archetypal ever extremity astatine a World Cup finals.

Match report

Colombia dominated possession passim the archetypal fractional but were dilatory to find their attacking rhythm. Diaz struck the crossbar aft 32 minutes and James Rodriguez saw an effort blocked, earlier the deadlock was breached erstwhile Diaz played successful Munoz, who converted with a crisp right-footed finish.

Uzbekistan grew into the contention aft the interval, drafting level erstwhile Eldor Shomurodov's volley was fumbled by goalkeeper Camilo Vargas, allowing Fayzullaev to pounce connected the escaped ball.

Colombia needed conscionable 4 minutes to reconstruct their lead, however, with Gustavo Puerta winning possession successful midfield earlier Diaz settled the determination with a composed placed finish. Campaz past completed the scoring successful stoppage time, turning location Cucho Hernandez's precise transverse to enactment the effect beyond each doubt.

Colombia's cardinal overload has Group K rivals thinking

Uzbekistan brag Fabio Cannavaro, the 2006 World Cup victor with Italy, deployed his broadside successful a heavy 5-4-1 strategy to neutralise the Colombian threat. The South Americans, however, had an answer.

In a benignant reminiscent of the Argentine broadside that has dominated satellite shot successful caller years, Colombia flooded the cardinal channels passim the archetypal half. Full-backs Mojica and Munoz provided the width, freeing Diaz and Rodriguez to harvester centrally alongside midfielders Jhon Arias, Jefferson Lerma and Puerta.

The attack was astatine its astir effectual during the opening period, an intricate operation done the mediate creating Munoz's opener. When Puerta forced a turnover heavy into the 2nd half, the Colombians streamed guardant successful numbers and the Bayern Munich guardant Diaz slotted location with ease.

Portugal enactment connected announcement up of Group K finale

Victory implicit DR Congo successful the 2nd circular would permission Colombia needing lone a gully against Portugal successful the last radical fixture to advance.

Crucially, the tactical blueprint that served them truthful good against Uzbekistan could beryllium arsenic effectual against the Congolese, who run successful a likewise compact antiaircraft block.

Portugal struggled for cardinal penetration successful their gully with DR Congo, relying alternatively connected wide transportation that yielded little. Should Colombia reproduce their existent attack successful that fixture, they are good susceptible of springing a large astonishment astatine the apical of Group K.