FOOTBALL
Morocco beat Spain on penalties to succeed in the World Cup quarter-finals for the primary time of their historical past on Tuesday after the match completed 0-0.
Printed: 6 December 2022 19:11 CET
Spain gamers look dejected after the loss. Photograph: Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP
Achraf Hakimi struck the decisive penalty to ship Spain crashing out and Morocco into the World Cup quarter-finals for the primary time, profitable 3-0 in a shoot-out on Tuesday after a 0-0 draw.
Spain coach Luis Enrique had claimed his gamers ready by taking 1,000 penalties as homework however Pablo Sarabia, Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets all missed from the spot and Madrid-born Hakimi dinked his house to the delight of Morocco’s raucous help.
Walid Regragui’s facet will face Portugal or Switzerland in what’s uncharted territory for them, with their earlier greatest a last-16 exit in 1986.
Spain had been hoping they might repeat their 2010 World Cup triumph after reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2020, the place they have been additionally overwhelmed on penalties by Italy.
The groups have been intently matched by way of a nail-biting conflict, with Spain having extra of the ball however Morocco creating the higher openings, few although they have been.
Luis Enrique trialled his third right-back of the event in Marcos Llorente, and benched the workforce’s prime scorer Alvaro Morata for Marco Asensio, after the shock defeat by Japan.
Spain monopolised the ball, with Morocco’s followers furiously whistling with their facet out of possession.
Morocco, who’re the final African and Arab facet left standing on the first World Cup held in an Arab nation, have been intensely backed and their followers enormously outnumbered Spain’s.
With La Roja taking part in in a pale blue second strip, they resembled the away workforce on hostile territory.
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Gavi, who at 18 years and 123 days previous turned the youngest participant to begin a World Cup knockout recreation since Brazil nice Pele in 1958, rose to the event.
The Barcelona midfield terrier was at his most intense, smashing into challenges left, proper and centre, even diving to make one along with his head.
Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou tipped a Gavi strike on to the crossbar, although it might have been dominated offside, whereas Asensio drilled into the side-netting, though Spain created little.
Regragui’s facet sat deep defensively and threatened on the counter, with Unai Simon beating away an extended vary effort from Noussair Mazraoui.
Toothless Spain
Sofiane Boufal, who bypassed Llorente like sand slipping by way of the Spaniard’s fingers early on, carved one of the best likelihood of the half for Nayef Aguerd, who headed inches over.
Bounou pummelled away a Dani Olmo strike from an angle as the stress cranked up after the break.
Luis Enrique raged at Rodri for selecting the improper choice on the ball, and withdrew the dogged and muddied Gavi for Carlos Soler.
He threw Morata on too, giving Spain a focus up prime, however they struggled to provide him as Morocco sat deeper and deeper.
One other substitute, Nico Williams did discover the Atletico Madrid striker on one event however the angle was too tight and he scraped a shot throughout the face of aim.
Bounou made a nice save from Olmo’s free-kick because it nearly snuck all over, with Spain lastly creating stronger possibilities as the sport frayed within the moments earlier than extra-time.
Morocco responded within the further interval by discovering stability and testing Simon, who made a nice save along with his legs to disclaim Walid Cheddira after he broke in down Spain’s left flank.
Regardless of heavy stress by Spain within the ultimate moments earlier than penalties, they might not bother the Sevilla goalkeeper once more, with Pablo Sarabia clipping the surface of the put up, though he might need been offside.
Having been despatched on apparently for the shoot-out, Sarabia struck the put up once more from Spain’s first penalty, after Abdelhamid Sabiri had despatched Morocco forward.
Soler and Busquets missed, whereas Hakim Ziyech scored, earlier than Hakimi netted towards his start nation to ignite wild celebrations.