Mo Salah, Egyptian king. Egypt finally have their first World Cup win, New Zealand let another lead slip, and Mohamed Salah (£10.0m) delivered exactly when fantasy managers needed him.
This was not just a nice story. Salah (£10.0m) was Egypt's top captain option for the fixture in our captain model, and the performance backed it up: goal, assist, shots, chances created and a massive MD3 question before Egypt face Iran.
Here are the Demon Notes from New Zealand 1-3 Egypt: Salah's haul, Zico stepping up, Egypt's second-half surge and what it means before MD3.
New Zealand 1-3 Egypt
- Goals: Finn Surman; Mostafa Zico, Mohamed Salah, Trezeguet
- Salah watch: goal, assist, 5 shots, 5 chances created
- Egypt milestone: first ever World Cup win
- Group state: Egypt move onto four points
- Next fixtures: Egypt v IR Iran, New Zealand v Belgium
Team Stats
Player Stats
| Player | Pos | Price | Match stats | MD3 note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohamed Salah | MID | £10.0m | 1 goal, 1 assist, 5 shots, 5 chances created, 13 touches in the box | Egypt's clear captain and transfer route against Iran |
| Mostafa Zico | MID | £4.2m | 1 goal, 1 assist, headed Egypt level | Cheap story, but minutes still need checking |
| Trezeguet | FWD | £5.6m | Scored from Salah's corner after coming on | Impact sub, not a safe buy unless he starts |
| Emam Ashour | MID | £4.6m | Drove Egypt's second-half improvement between the lines | Budget midfielder if you want an Egypt enabler |
| Omar Marmoush | FWD | £7.8m | Quiet compared with Salah | Still has MD3 xPts, but Salah is the cleaner pick |
| Chris Wood | FWD | £6.5m | New Zealand faded after half-time | Belgium next is not a priority buy |
Demon Notes
- Salah (£10.0m) did the thing. Egypt were too slow in the first half, then Salah started coming inside, linking play and taking the game away from New Zealand. Goal, assist, five shots, five chances created. That is captaincy material.
- The captain model liked Salah (£10.0m) as Egypt's best route for this fixture, and this is why. He had the set-piece role, the central threat and the star-player responsibility. When Egypt needed the game won, it went through him.
- Zico (£4.2m) was the surprise fantasy name. A goal and an assist at that price is brilliant, but do not turn one strong half into a blind transfer. Check the XI first.
- Trezeguet (£5.6m) scored from a Salah (£10.0m) corner, but the problem is minutes. He is more of a team-news punt than a proper MD3 target right now.
- Ashour (£4.6m) mattered. He gave Egypt the link they were missing, helped Salah (£10.0m) play closer to goal and made the second half feel completely different.
- New Zealand have heart, but they keep losing control after going ahead. Wood (£6.5m) is always capable of nicking something, but Belgium is not a fixture to chase.
What It Means For MD3
Egypt face IR Iran next, and a draw should be enough for them to finish in the top two. That makes the fantasy call interesting: Egypt have motivation, Salah (£10.0m) has form, and Iran have just spent a long night defending against Belgium.
Salah (£10.0m) is the obvious one. Our numbers have him at 6.9 MD3 xPts, and he is exactly the type of player who can turn a qualification game into a captain return. If you want Egypt, start with him.
Marmoush (£7.8m) is the alternative, but it feels harder to justify when Salah (£10.0m) has the stronger role and set pieces. Zico (£4.2m) and Ashour (£4.6m) are cheaper, but both need team-news confidence.
Iran will not be easy. Beiranvand (£4.2m) and Rezaeian (£4.0m) have already been fantasy gold, so Egypt attackers are not a free lunch. But Salah (£10.0m) is still the best player in that match.
Verdict: Salah (£10.0m) is a live MD3 captain shout. Egypt cheap picks are only worth it if lineups help. New Zealand are fade unless you are already holding Wood (£6.5m) and need a miracle.