MOROCCO are leading Portugal 1-0 in their World Cup quarter-final.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been benched again, and is watching on from the subs’ bench.
The ex-Manchester United star had to watch from the bench as his team-mates thrashed Switzerland 6-1 in the last-16, with his replacement Goncalo Ramos scoring a hat-trick.
But it is Portugal who are behind at half-time, with Youssef En-Nesyri giving his side the lead, heading past Diogo Costa.
- Kick-off: 3pm UK time
- TV channel: ITV1
- Live stream: ITV X
- Morocco XI: Bounou, Hakimi, El Yamiq, Saiss, Attiat- Allah, Amrabat, Ounahi, Amallah, Ziyech, En Nesyri, Boufal.
- Portugal XI: Diogo Costa, Dalot, Pepe, Rúben Dias, Guerreiro, Neves, Otávio, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, João Félix, Gonçalo Ramo
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Morocco 1 – 0 Portugal
47, If anything the whistles from the Morocco fans are even louder in this second half.
This is a big test for Portugal.
Second half: Morocco 1 – 0 Portugal
46, We’re back underway here at Al-Thumuma Stadium.
Can Morocco hold on or will Portugal find a way back into it?
Let’s find out!
Inside the stadium
SunSport’s Oscar Paul in Qatar:
Yousseff En-Nesyri’s second goal of the World Cup is the difference here at a tense, loud and bouncing Al Thumama Stadium.
It was a decent cross from left-back Yahia Attiyat Allah and a good header by the Sevilla striker – but what on earth was Portugal keeper Diogo Costa doing?
He came off his line, indicating he was going to punch it clear, but was too weak and got nowhere near it as En-Nesyri nodded home.
The game needed a goal, and it’s been absolute chaos ever since the 42nd-minute opener.
Bruno Fernandes almost levelled up straight away but saw an audacious strike from a ridiculous angle cannon off the bar.
And then right on the stroke of half time, Morocco broke at breakneck speed only for Attiyat Allah to lose all composure and spoon wide from a golden position.Oscar Paul
Match stats
Here’s the match stats from that first half.
Disappointing Portugal
Morocco have nullified Portugal’s front three.
Goncalo Ramos has barely had a touch out there.
If only Portugal had someone to come off the bench…
He couldn’t could he?
Half-Time: Morocco 1 – 0 Portugal
Morocco lead at the break!
Morocco 1 – 0 Portugal
45+2, Attiyat Allah misses the chance to double Morocco’s lead just before half time.
Morocco break forward with a three-on-three counterattack and ball eventually falls to the left back who slices an effort wide when he had time to set himself.
Morocco 1 – 0 Portugal
45, We’re going to play two additional minutes at the end of this half.
The camera cuts to a shell-shocked looking Cristiano Ronaldo on the Portugal bench.
GOAL! Morocco 1 – 0 Portugal
42, Morocco take the lead!
It’s a goal that the Portugal goalkeeper will not want to see again.
He comes out to claim Attiyatt Allah’s looping cross from the left but is beaten to the ball by a magnificent leap from En Nesyri who heads into the unguarded goal.
Morocco 0 – 0 Portugal
39, Joao Felix sees a shot fly over the crossbar.
Neither side have their shooting boots on today it seems.
Morocco 0 – 0 Portugal
37, Morocco are growing into this game.
All of a sudden they look comfortable in possession.
Morocco 0 – 0 Portugal
35, The Portuguese defenders have been very wary to commit themselves when Boufal has the ball on the left wing.
The former Southampton man drops his shoulder and sends an effort towards goal but it’s straight at Diogo Costa.
Morocco 0 – 0 Portugal
35, Amallah sweeps the ball miles over the crossbar having been found by Attiat Allah’s cutback from the left.
Good play there by Morocco.
Morocco 0 – 0 Portugal
33, Portugal seem to have taken a leaf out of the Netherlands’ book yesterday and are just pumping the ball up to the big man up front.
Seems a bit early to resort to those tactics – not that the Moroccan defenders have minded too much.
Morocco 0 – 0 Portugal
30, So close from Joao Felix!
His shot from the edge of the box gets a big deflection and lands on the roof of the net.
Bounou had no chance of stopping it after he had thrown himself in the initial direction of Felix’s shot.
Morocco 0 – 0 Portugal
27, Every Portugal touch is being met with whistles from Morocco’s sizeable travelling support at the stadium.
It feels like this game is being played Casablanca.
Morocco 0 – 0 Portugal
26, A decent chance for En-Nesyri as he heads Ziyech’s cross well wide of the Portugal goal.
En-Nesyri got across his marker but couldn’t direct his header on target.
If there’s going to be a goal in this game it seems as though it’ll come from a set piece.
Morocco 0 – 0 Portugal
23, Oof! Bit of a collision between Bounou and Bruno Fernandes.
The goalkeeper did well to claim the ball but was clattered into by the Portuguese midfielder.
Bit of afters between Fernandes and some of the Moroccan defenders but all’s well that ends well.
Morocco 0 – 0 Portugal
21, Morocco look quite insightful when they do venture forwards.
They’ve got plenty of players who are good at progressing the ball up to the edge of the penalty area but nobody who you’d bet your house on finishing a chance.
I write this as another dangerous looking Ziyech cross falls safely into the arms of Diogo Costa without a single Moroccan attacker challenging to get on the end of it.
Morocco 0 – 0 Portugal
18, Ziyech cuts inside and shoots but it rolls harmlessly wide of Diogo Costa’s goal.
Morocco 0 – 0 Portugal
16, This already feels like a game that could be decided late on by one of the substitutes…
Morocco 0 – 0 Portugal
13, Another free kick from wide on the right sees Raphael Guerreiro have a goal-bound volley well-blocked by a Moroccan defender.
Portugal are finding some joy with set pieces in the early stages here.
Morocco 0 – 0 Portugal
12, Portugal are just popping the ball about, making sure that everyone gets a nice early touch in.
Morocco are just watching them do it and only deciding to press once the ball progresses beyond the halfway line.
Morocco 0 – 0 Portugal
9, There are a number of empty seats inside the stadium and reports that some ticketless fans have been trying to gain entry.
Morocco 0 – 0 Portugal
6, Morocco get forward for the first time.
Attiat Allah gallops forward down the left wing and earns a corner for his side.
The resulting corner is headed over by En-Nesyri when he should perhaps have done better.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk