Portugal 1, Morocco 0
Group B, Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow
Let’s be clear: Morocco was the better team on the field Wednesday, pressing the ball into Portugal’s side of the field for nearly all of the second half. Alas, that will be cold comfort for a team that’s now been eliminated from knockout-round contention.
Portugal, meanwhile, gets three crucial points and now is in great shape to advance with only a match against Iran remaining next week. They won’t go very far with another effort like Wednesday’s, however. Cristiano Ronaldo scored the game’s only goal but was more or less absent for the second half, and goalkeeper Rui Patricio was big in fending off Morocco’s attempts. After that was a lot of slop.
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What’s next
Portugal: vs. Iran in Saransk, June 25, 2 p.m.
Morocco: vs. Spain in Kaliningrad, June 25, 2 p.m.
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In-game updates
Hey, it’s Ronaldo
In the 84th minute, it’s Morocco’s turn for a sloppy clear and Ronaldo — unheard from for a very long stretch — is fouled inches outside the box. His free kick bangs off the wall.
Fayçal Fajr replaces Karim El Ahmadi, and Morocco is out of subs.
Minutes later, Joao Joao Moutinho is off and Adrien Silva is on for Portugal, which is likewise out of subs. Silva draws a yellow card for an errant takedown minutes later.
Another sub for Morocco
Mehdi Carcela-Gonzalez enters for Morocco, replacing Younes Belhanda in the 75th minute. The latter had a good stretch in the second half.
Amrabat is now attacking the left side of the field, it appears. Interesting.
The frazzled Portuguese
Ahead of a Morocco close-in free kick in the 67th minute — Ziyach sent it well over the bar — Portugal’s players seemed to be pleading with Coach Fernando Santos to make some changes in the back to fend off this relentless attack. He responded by sending in Bruno Fernandes for Joao Mario (Fernandes started Portugal’s World Cup opener ahead of Mario).
Meanwhile, Ayoub El Kaabi is on for Morocco, replacing Khalid Boutaib up top.
Portugal sub
Gelson Martins comes in for Bernardo Silva in the 59th minute.
More sloppiness from Portugal
The favorites continue to do themselves no favors, lethargically giving the ball away at midfield numerous times over the first 10 minutes of the second half. Morocco continues to press after the miscues, and in the 55th minute, Younes Belhanda sent a rocket that Patricia had to reach to stop.
Two minutes later, Patricio has the save of the game, again on Belhanda, who headed a free kick toward the goal. Patricio dives with all of his height to save it.
Halftime: Portugal 1, Morocco 0
The score line says Portugal is winning, but that’s far from apparent on the field. Amrabat’s ability to race the ball past the Portugal defense on the right side is giving the favorite all sorts of troubles. All the Atlas Lions need is one clean cross and we’re talking about an entirely different game.
Almost 2-0
In the 39th minute, Ronaldo chips the ball to an advancing Gonçalo Guedes, who had gotten a step on the defense in the box. El Kajoui is able to make the save, however.
Less than a minute later, Morocco’s Mehdi Benatia gets a yellow card after being repeatedly warned. The crowd seems eminently, loudly pro-Morocco, and they’re not happy with the calls. Morocco has been whistled for 10 fouls, 5 for Portugal.
More from Morocco
Take away the goal and it’s been all Morocco, whose attack is best described as frantic.
Mehdi Benatia shoves Ronaldo to the turf from behind in the 25th minute and gets a stern lecture from referee Mark Geiger. Ronaldo writhed around for a bit clutching his ankle, but he’s back.
Morocco Coach Herve Renard also gets a talking-to after vehemently protesting the lack of a call when Nordin Amrabat is taken down by Raphael Guerreiro in — or at least very near to — the box. No review, play on.
Morocco not backing down
Apart from some questionable marking of the world’s greatest player — Ronaldo got another good attempt not long after his goal — Morocco isn’t laying down, forcing Rui Patricio to get down and made a save off a header in the 11th minute. They’ve had a number of okay chances already.
Goal!
In the fourth minute, who else: Ronaldo heads it in after a short corner kick is delivered right to his skull. Nifty step around the defender in the box to get free, and he’s done it again. It’s his 85th career international goal, moving him past Ferenc Puskas of Hungary for the most by a European player.
New look for Ronaldo?
Opening thoughts
Everyone still is talking about Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat trick in last week’s mesmerizing 3-3 draw with Spain, but let’s not forget that one of those goals shouldn’t have happened: Spain goalkeeper David De Gea let one through that he usually would have stopped late in the first half, when Spain was dominating. A save there, and the run-up to Wednesday’s clash with Morocco could have had an entirely different theme. As it stands, Portugal doesn’t want anything less than a win here.
Nordin Amrabat will play for Morocco even after he bonked heads with Iran’s Vahid Amiri in last week’s dispiriting 1-0 loss, suffering a concussion. With matches looming against Portugal and Spain, the Atlas Lions desperately needed to come away with at least a point against Iran, a hope that was dashed when Aziz Bouhaddouz headed the ball into his own net well into extra time in the second half. Morocco now needs at least a draw with Portugal to have any chance at the knockout round, a tall task.
The lineups
Portugal: Patricio, Cedric, Pepe, Fonte, Guerreiro, Silva, Moutinho, Carvalho, Mario, Guedes, Ronaldo.
Morocco: Mohamedi, Dirar, Da Costa, Benatia, Hakimi, El Ahmadi, Boussoufa, Belhanda, Harit, Boutaib, Ziyech.
Of note: Joao Mario replaces Bruno Fernandes on the left side of Portugal’s midfield. For Morocco, Manuel Da Costa — son of a Portuguese father and a Moroccan mother — replaces Romain Saïss in the center of its defense
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