England vs Wales, Argentina vs Poland, Ghana vs Uruguay: Big Matches to Look Out for in MD3 of World Cup 2022

• Matchday three of World Cup 2022 is expected to provide a lot of fiery pictures, with teams battling to keep their World Cup ambitions alive
• Lionel Messi's Argentina, Robert Lewandowski's Poland and Kevin De Bruyne's Belgium are some of the teams that could be eliminated if they record poor results
• Senegal, Morocco and Ghana will be Africa's best bets to proceed to the knockout stage, with the Atlas Lions in a 'much better' position

A tournament usually gets to the business end when the knockout stages kick in. But World Cup 2022 in Qatar has offered so much sauce and surprises that match day 3 will see teams, giants and perceived underdogs, fight to remain in the tournament.

To put it into context, only three teams, France, Brazil and Portugal, are through to the round of 16. Meanwhile, only Qatar and Canada have been eliminated. Out of the 32 teams that graced the Qatar edition, 27 are still in contention and Sports Brief takes a look at all the finals before the finals you need to watch out for as game week three kicks off on Tuesday, 29th November.

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1. England vs Wales

Gareth Southgate's side need a draw to advance, a win to confirm top spot, while Wales need nothing but a win or their first World Cup after 64 years will end prematurely.

2. USA vs Iran

The USA have impressed, while Iran bounced back beautifully from the opening-day capitulation. A draw could suffice for Iran, while Gregg Berhalter's side need to win.

3. Ecuador vs Senegal

The reigning African champions need to beat an Ecuadorian side who withstood the pressure of the Dutch side to qualify for the knockout. A draw will be enough for the South Americans.

4. Poland vs Argentina

Lionel Messi's side must win to progress if they don't want to depend on results from the other fixture. A win could also see them secure top spot and avoid France in the round of 16. But Robert Lewandowski will have a few things to say about that.

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5. Australia vs Denmark

Perceived as one of the dark horses of the tournament, the Danes must beat Australia to remain in the competition as the Socceroos chase an unprecedented playoff berth.

6. Spain vs Japan, Costa Rica vs Germany

Luis Enrique will be wary of the king's slayers in Japan. A point could be enough for Spain, but why not go for finishing as group winners? Germany, meanwhile, are staring right down the barrel. They must win or face elimination from the group stage in two successive tournaments.

7. Croatia vs Belgium

The cracks reported within the Belgium squad have come at a worse time. The Golden Generation are facing its biggest test year and must beat the 2018 finalists to progress. You get a feeling a draw wouldn't be enough, as Morocco is set to hold on against Canada to ensure progression.

8. Serbia vs Switzerland

Two formidable teams in a win-or-go-home situation. Cameroon's chances of beating Brazil are low, so one of these European teams will join the record winners from this group. The Swiss only need a point.

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9. Ghana vs Uruguay

Forget the fact that they need to win to progress, the 2010 Asamoah Gyan Luis Suarez storyline will be at play here. This is a game that is threatening to serve fireworks and pure box office action. Ghana could be through with just a point but need a win to be sure, while Uruguay has to win; there are no shortcuts.

See, none is safe! Let the games begin.