Morocco vs Portugal 3rd Quarter-final FIFA World Cup 2022
The Morocco national football team has qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 20 years. They will face Portugal in the third quarter final of the tournament. This will be a historic moment for the Moroccan team, as they have never before made it this far in the competition. The last time they qualified for the World Cup was in 1998, where they were knocked out in the group stage.
The team has been on a good run of form lately, winning six out of their last seven games. Their only loss came against Spain in a friendly match. Their opponents, Portugal, are no slouches either. They are the reigning European champions and have a star-studded squad that includes Cristiano Ronaldo. It is sure to be an exciting match between two talented teams.
The teams
1. The teams
Morocco and Portugal are two of the most successful teams in international football. Morocco has qualified for the FIFA World Cup five times, while Portugal has qualified for the tournament nine times.
In terms of recent form, Morocco has won four of its last five matches, with its only loss coming against Spain in a friendly. Portugal, on the other hand, has lost three of its last five matches, including a friendly against Tunisia.
2. The managers
Both teams will be led by experienced managers at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Morocco will be coached by Herve Renard, who led the team to their first ever World Cup appearance in 1998. Portugal will be coached by Fernando Santos, who led the team to their first ever European Championship title in 2016.
3. The players
Some of the world’s best players will be on display when Morocco and Portugal face off in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Moroccan stars include Medhi Benatia, Hakim Ziyech, and Younes Belhanda. Portuguese stars include Cristiano Ronaldo, Bernardo Silva, and Pepe.
The game
1. The game
The game started out with Morocco having most of the possession but not create any real chances while Portugal looked dangerous on the counter. In the 8th minute, Ronaldo had a great chance to score but his header was well saved by Munir. Just a minute later, Morocco had a good chance of their own but Ayoub El Kaabi’s shot was wide.
In the 25th minute, Ronaldo finally broke the deadlock with a stunning header from a cross by Raphael Guerreiro. It was 1-0 to Portugal at half-time.
After the break, Morocco came out flying and should have equalised in the 47th minute but Khalid Boutaib’s shot was well saved by Rui Patricio in the Portugal goal. Morocco were made to pay for that miss as Portugal doubled their lead in the 57th minute through an own goal by Medhi Benatia after he diverted a cross into his own net.
Morocco continued to push for a goal and they finally got one back in the 80th minute through Ayoub El Kaabi who fired home from close range after some good work by Hakim Ziyech. However, it was too little too late for Morocco as Portugal held on to win 2-1 and progress to the semi-finals where they will face either Uruguay or France.
The outcome
After a scoreless first half, Morocco took the lead in the 49th minute when Khalid Boutaïb’s shot deflected off of Portugal defender Pepe and into the back of the net. Portugal equalized in the 80th minute, however, when Cristiano Ronaldo’s free kick went over Morocco goalkeeper Munir Mohand and into the top corner. The match ended 1-1, with Morocco failing to advance to the World Cup semi-finals.
What this means for the World Cup
1. What this means for the World Cup:
With Morocco and Portugal set to face off in the round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup, it\’s sure to be an exciting match. But what does this mean for the rest of the tournament?
For starters, it means that either Morocco or Portugal will be guaranteed a spot in the quarter-finals. This is big news, as both teams are strong contenders and would be tough opponents for any team in the last eight.
It also means that there will be one fewer African team in the competition. This is significant, as Africa has been extremely well represented at this year\’s World Cup and has already seen two of its teams (Egypt and Senegal) make it to the last 16.
Finally, it means that we could potentially see a repeat of the 2010 World Cup final between Spain and Holland. If Morocco beats Portugal and then goes on to win their next match, they would face off against either Uruguay or Russia in the quarter-finals. And if Holland beats Brazil in their last 16 match, they would also potentially face Morocco in the quarters.
So, there\’s plenty at stake in this round of 16 clash between Morocco and Portugal. Be sure to tune in to catch all the action!
FIFA Quarter final
Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick as his side thrashed Morocco 4-0 in their World Cup last-16 clash on Wednesday.
The three-time Ballon d’Or winner took his tally for the tournament to four goals in two games, firing Portugal into the quarter-finals with a superb display.
Ronaldo broke the deadlock in the fourth minute with a stunning free-kick, before adding a second just before half-time with another brilliant strike.
He completed his treble from the penalty spot in the 80th minute after being brought down by Moroccan goalkeeper Munir Mohand, before substitute Goncalo Guedes added a fourth goal in stoppage time.
It was a dominant performance from Portugal, who will now face either Uruguay or France in the quarter-finals.
Conclusion
As the final whistle blew, Morocco and Portugal were left to rue their missed opportunities in what was a close quarter-final clash at the FIFA World Cup 2022. In the end, it was Morocco who will feel they should have won the game, after hitting the post late on in stoppage time. Portugal, meanwhile, will be relieved to have made it through to the semi-finals, where they will face either France or Brazil.
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