World Cup Round-Up (Day 17) – Morocco Stun Spain Before Portugal Hit Switzerland for Six

07/12/22 886

The final two last-16 clashes did not disappoint on Day 17 of the Qatar World Cup. Morocco sent Spain home after a dramatic penalty shootout, while Portugal thrashed Switzerland 6-1 to complete the quarter-final line-up.

There are plenty of talking points to discuss from Tuesday’s action, including Fernando Santos’ decision to leave Cristiano Ronaldo out of Portugal’s starting XI. Keep reading to find out how Ronaldo’s replacement fared.

Hero Bono Stars as Morocco Beat Spain on Penalties

Naturally, Spain were the bookmakers’ clear favourites to beat Morocco when the teams met at Education City Stadium in Tuesday’s early kick-off. But the 2022 World Cup doesn’t have a script.

As expected, the Spaniards dominated possession – enjoying 77% of the ball on the night. But they only managed to hit the target with one of their 13 shots. Meanwhile, the Moroccans registered six attempts – two of which were on target.

The game eventually headed into extra-time, with both sides creating multiple chances to win the game late on. When Pablo Sarabia hit the post in the dying seconds, a penalty shootout felt inevitable.

Remarkably, Spain failed to convert a single penalty. Sarabia stepped up first and hit the post before Bono saved the next two, leaving PSG’s Achraf Hakimi to produce a cheeky chipped penalty to send his country through.

Morocco are just the fourth Africa nation to reach the quarter-finals at a World Cup, setting up a clash with Portugal on Saturday.

Ramos Hits Hat-Trick as Portugal Hammer Switzerland

The big pre-match news surrounding Portugal and Switzerland’s quarter-final showdown was the fact that Ronaldo would start the game on the bench. Nevertheless, the Portuguese coped just fine without him.

Ronaldo’s replacement, Goncalo Ramos, opened the scoring after 17 minutes before Pepe doubled Portugal’s lead. Six minutes after half-time, Ramos scored his second and Portugal’s third.

Raphael Guerreiro made it 4-0 on 55 minutes before Manuel Akanji scored a consolation goal for the Swiss. Nine minutes later, Ramos produced a deft chipped finish to complete his hat-trick. Not bad for a 21-year-old, hey?

With the tie already settled, Santos’ men took their foot off the gas. But there was still time for Rafael Leao to come off the bench and score an excellent long-range goal. Ronaldo eventually made a substitute appearance, too.

The Portuguese can be extremely satisfied with their 6-1 victory. On the flip side the Swiss will head home with their tails between their legs.