FIFA World Cup: Messi regrets missing penalty against Iceland
Moscow, June 17 : Argentine superstar Lionel Messi said he regretted having squandered a second-half penalty try that could have led his team to victory over Iceland in Group D action on Saturday at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The match at Otkritie Arena in Moscow, which featured two first-half goals, ended in a 1-1 draw.
"It hurts to have missed the penalty, because it would've been the decisive advantage," the FC Barcelona talisman said after the game, though adding the draw had not dampened the team's hopes in Russia, reported Efe.
"We haven't lost hope despite the draw. We still have the same desire. I think we deserved to win. We tried to find spaces in the Iceland defence, but we couldn't find them," he added.
Messi denied that the draw would affect the team in its next Group D contest Thursday against Croatia, adding that "we have some days to rest and get well-prepared for the match."
"We weren't thinking about starting with one point from the first match, but it's the first match. No one gives anything away. It's a very even World Cup and you're seeing that, because all the games are very close," he added.
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RCB beat MI by 18 runs after batters fire
Mumbai (PTI): Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar, Phil Salt and Virat Kohli blasted half-centuries as the defending champions beat Mumbai Indians by 18 runs in an Indian Premier League match here on Sunday.
Salt (78 off 36 balls) and Kohli (50 off 38 balls) stitched together a 120-run stand for the opening wicket before Patidar scored a rapid 53 off just 20 balls as RCB posted 240 for 4.
In response, Mumbai Indians were restricted to 222 for 5, with RCB spinner Suyash Sharma (2/47) putting the skids on the home side with a double strike in the eighth over, from which they could not recover.
Sherfane Rutherford top-scored for MI with an unbeaten 71 off 31 balls.
While opener Rohit Sharma appeared to be struggling with a hamstring issue and had to retire hurt on 19, his partner Ryan Rickelton made 37, while Suryakumar Yadav (33) and Hardik Pandya (40) were the other contributors for MI.
Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 240 for 4 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 78, Virat Kohli 50, Rajat Patidar 53, Tim David 35 not out).
Mumbai Indians: 222 for 5 in 20 overs (Sherfane Rutherford 71 not out, Ryan Rickelton 37, Hardik Pandya 40; Suyash Sharma 2/47).
