After Cameroon (1990), Senegal (2002) and Ghana (2010), the Moroccans became the fourth African team to reach the quarter-finals in World Cup history. The last time the Spaniards reached the top eight was a memorable triumph at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Coach Valíd Rajrajjuí’s team will face the winner of the evening match between Portugal and Switzerland in the quarter-finals on Saturday.
Tiki-Taka didn’t work out for the Moroccan defense
The start of the match at the Education City Stadium in Doha was held at a brisk pace, but it took almost 30 minutes for the first significant chance. Asensio, after charging behind the defense, only hit the side net of Bono’s sanctuary from a corner. The Spaniards had a shot attempt in the first half, which had not happened to them in the last 56 years at the World Cup.
Morocco’s Mazraoui scored the only direct shot on target in the first half, but Simón made a powerful save from 20 metres. The Spanish goalkeeper did not have to intervene on Adžuird’s dangerous header.
Shortly after the change of sides, Olmo’s heavy blow was boxed by Bono, who started in his 50th international match.
After an hour, striker Morata, who had made his mark in all three previous matches of the tournament, came on as a substitute, but the picture of the match did not change. The Spaniards kept the ball more and the Moroccans launched counter-attacks, but neither team created the chance to score.
This led to a goalless draw for the seventh time in the league, and both teams followed up with a 2:2 draw from the group stage of the last World Cup. After Monday’s match between Croatia and Japan, the playoffs went to extra time for the second time.
The half hour of added time was still cautious on both sides, at the end of both overtimes the teams still had the best chances of the match. First, Chaddíra fought his way past Simon, but from close range only hit the leg of the falling goalkeeper. In the last action of extra time, on the other side, Sarabia stepped on the post with a volley.
And exactly the Paris St. Germain midfielder, who only entered the field in the 118th minute, only hit the goal again in the first set of penalties. Bono then caught Soler and Busquets. On the other hand, it failed only in the third series of Banún. Sabiri and Ziyech, on the other hand, converted with lucidity.
Progress was confirmed by Hakimi, who, aware of the clear advantage, allowed himself a “dive” in the middle of the goal in the final. The Spaniard then lost the fourth of five penalties at the World Cup, no one has a worse record.
At the tournament in Qatar, the Moroccans have not lost even in their fourth game and overall they are on a nine-game unbeaten streak. Under coach Rajrajjui, who only took over the team in August, they did not lose even in their seventh game.
