The Qatar World Cup continued to dish up thrills and spills on Thursday, with Belgium and Germany suffering elimination from the tournament. Meanwhile, Morocco shocked Group F to finish top.
Japan produced a remarkable comeback to beat Spain, with both sides progressing to the last 16. There is no shortage of talking points to discuss, so let’s dive straight into the action from Day 12.
Well, that was certainly a day 😅#FIFAWorldCup | #Qatar2022— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 1, 2022
Well, that was certainly a day 😅#FIFAWorldCup | #Qatar2022
Belgium’s World Cup campaign ended in humiliation at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, as the semi-finalists from four years ago crashed out of the competition following a goalless draw against the 2018 runners-up.
Romelu Lukaku came off the bench in the second half and attempted to change the course of the game, but the Inter Milan striker missed numerous chances. As a result, Croatia finished second in Group F – one point ahead of third-place Belgium.
Morocco finished the opening stage of the tournament as Group F winners after beating Canada 2-1. Hakim Ziyech opened the scoring after just four minutes before Youssef En-Nesyri doubled the Moroccans’ lead midway through the first half.
Canada benefitted from an own goal from Nayef Aguerd just before half-time, but the Maples Leafs failed to record a single shot on target of their own. Consequently, Morocco remain unbeaten in Qatar.
When Alvaro Morata put Spain ahead on 11 minutes at Khalifa International Stadium, Japan appeared to be heading home. However, the Asian side stunned the European heavyweights in the second half.
Ritsu Doan and Ao Tanaka both scored within six minutes of the restart to earn their team a memorable 2-1 victory. Despite seeing just 17% possession, Japan managed to hold on and finish atop Group E.
To say that Germany dominated Costa Rica would be an understatement. Indeed, the European giants racked up 68% possession and 32 shots on their way to beating the CONCACAF nation 4-2. But it wasn’t enough to qualify.
Ultimately, Japan’s win against Spain sent Germany home. For the second successive World Cup, the Germans won’t be featuring in the knockout phase. Needless to say, Hansi Flick and his players have a lot to answer for.