Portugal hang on for slim win over courageous Morocco
Cristiano's fourth minute header was all that separated Portugal and Morocco on the final whistle in Moscow. Portugal top Group B on four points.
Portugal vs Morocco | World Cup 2018 Match Report
Morocco will be bitterly disappointed after their 1-0 defeat at the hands of Portugal, which puts the North Africans out of the running for a place in the second round, following two successive defeats.
Before the game, Moroccan coach Hervé Renard has said that his team would do all they could to make Ronaldo look “less exceptional”. And for the majority of the game, they did just that. But Ronaldo doesn’t need many chances to do something exceptional, and with just four minutes on the clock, the Real Madrid striker scored with a wonderful diving header to put his team ahead -- and himself ahead in the race for the Golden Boot. It was his fourth in the competition, and his 85th for his country, making him now the player with the second most international goals in history, behind Iran's Ali Daei.
Morocco bow out, but can hold heads high
But it was Morocco who were overall the better side in the game. Renard’s men had a plethora of chances but just could not find a way past Rui Patricio in goal, who made a number of great saves in the second half to keep Morocco off the scoreboard.
It was a heroic display from the Atlas Lions, who kept their fans on the edge of their seats right until the final whistle. They will be disappointed but can leave the Luzhniki stadium with their heads held high. Spain may be a dead rubber fixture for them now, but they will be eager to leave Russia with a win, and judging on today’s performance, they certainly have an outside chance of doing so.
Portugal vs Morocco | World Cup 2018 live online: preview
Morocco face Portugal today in Group B, and Moroccan coach Herve Renard has said that his team will do everything in their power “to make Ronaldo less exceptional”.
It’s an unenviable task considering that not even a powerhouse like Spain could stop the Portuguese talisman scoring a hat trick in their 3-3 opening game on Friday.
Morocco will need a win or a draw to keep their World Cup hopes alive, after having been beaten 1-0 by Iran, but stopping Ronaldo and Co. could prove impossible for a team 37 places behind Portugal (4th) in the Fifa World Rankings.
Portugal meanwhile will be hoping to score as many goals as possible, knowing that it will now likely come down to goal difference between them and Spain for the top spot, after the two sides drew in the opening encounter.
