The highlights of its football history are going through Morocco, winning the penalty shootout against Spain (0-0 in regulation and overtime) with a score of 3-0 and for the first time celebrating the promotion to the top eight of the World Cup. A cup.

There he will meet with Portugal, which, even without Ronaldo in the starting lineup, arranged a game against Switzerland, winning 6-1.

Yesterday in the first game, Morocco punished Spain for being overconfident. Many have argued that Luis Enrique and his players chose the path with their defeat in the final group match against Japan, and if so, they themselves fell into the trap they intended to set.

The “Furious Rojas” could, as is usually the case, have the ball, but in the last effort they were hopelessly chatty, while Morocco, on the other hand, played the game exactly where they wanted to. With excellent defensive play, he managed to keep the Spaniards out of his zone, and thanks to his excellent commitment to the plan and the goal, he withstood the pressure for 120 minutes, when both teams were at 0-0.

Portugal beat Switzerland 6-1 and Ronaldo spent 74 minutes on the bench.

And when the ball was placed in the white bullet, Bono became a nationwide hero by stopping the executions of Soler and Busquets. The Spaniards conceded all three of their first penalties: Sarabia hit the post and Hakimi’s à la Paneca finish was a historic moment for Morocco.

In another match, the news broke even before the break, when FIFA announced the line-ups. Fernando Santos left Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench and is rumored to have punished him after he swore during a substitution against South Korea. However, even in this case, the Portuguese easily got a ticket to the top eight, beating the Swiss with a score of 6:1. The role of Ronaldo was played by 21-year-old Benfica striker Gonzalo Ramos, who scored the first hat-trick of this year and eclipsed everyone. Found the net and Pepe, who at the age of 39 years and 283 days became the oldest player to score in the playoffs of the World Cup.

However, Santos, when asked about the decision to leave Ronaldo on the sidelines, clarified that it was a tactical move, not a punishment. Of course, the choice of the Portuguese coach did not please those who were on the field at all, since from the middle of the second half they were rhythmically chanting the name of Ronaldo, and his substitution was marked as … a goal. .

Four pairs out of eight: Croatia – Brazil, Netherlands – Argentina (9/12) and Morocco – Portugal, France – England (10/12).