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Portugal demolished Switzerland 6-1 in the round of 16 to advance to the quarter-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where they will face Morocco.
The Seleccao advanced to the knockouts as winners of Group H, resulting in their match-up against Group G runners-up Switzerland. Both sides qualified with the same record in the group stage, winning two games and losing one each. However, the Swiss finished in second place due to an inferior goal difference.
In a decision that raised a few eyebrows, Cristiano Ronaldo started from the bench.
Portugal stamped their authority on the game in the first half as they scored two well-worked goals, leaving Switzerland with a big job to do. They created 0.95 xG in the first period but scored two goals as Goncalo Ramos scored one of the most improbable goals likely to be seen.
Pepe then showed his experience as he was alert for a corner taken by Bruno Fernandes, attacking the ball first to score Portugal's second of the game. Switzerland trailed 2-0 at the break.
Portugal continued the onslaught in the second period as Ramos made it a brace for himself just six minutes after the restart. He was the first to get to a teasing delivery by Diogo Dalot towards the near post and squeezed the ball past Yann Sommer. Ramos then provided an assist for Raphael Guerreiro, who made a darting run from left-back to smash the ball into the roof of the net.
Switzerland then created a chance to score and Manuel Akanji applied the finishing touch as they grabbed a consolation goal. However, the Seleccao were relentless and scored two more goals before the full-time whistle. Goncalo Ramos completed his hat-trick with a delightful chip over Yann Sommer. Substitute Rafael Leao then made it 6-1 with a curling effort.
Portugal secured a resounding 6-1 win over Switzerland to advance to the next round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Having said that, let's recap the five talking points from the game.
#5. Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Cancelo started from the bench
In what was a very bold move from Fernando Santos, Ronaldo and Cancelo saw themselves benched for Portugal's round of 16 clash. Diogo Dalot and Goncalo Ramos replaced the Premier League stars and put in performances that justified their coach's decision.
Dalot created the chance for the Seleccao's third goal, dashing down the right flank before playing a low cross into the box. He won five of his six duels, making four tackles and two blocks. Ramos made his debut in this game and scored a hat-trick. He also provided one assist.
#4. Switzerland failed to make the most of their chances
The first half saw the teams fairly equally matched as Portugal attempted six shots while the Swiss attempted four. However, Switzerland were lackluster in front of goal and failed to test Diogo Costa between the sticks. They even dominated possession of the ball in the second half, keeping it for 58% of the time. However, they hit the target just once in six attempts as Akanji scored a consolation goal.
#3. Portugal have a variety of young goalscoring threats
In what seems to be their golden generation, Portugal are stacked with exceptional talent in nearly every position on the pitch. Whether coach Santos rotates the squad or sticks with his trusted XI, the Seleccao seem to be prepared to grind out results. This has made them one of the contenders to win the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Four different players stepped up to score Portugal's six goals, with Goncalo Ramos being the standout performer with his hat-trick. Four different players also provided assists in the rout. What makes it sweeter is that three of the contributors are 23 or younger. This is a huge positive for the Seleccao heading into the business end of the tournament.
#2. Ronaldo's replacement Goncalo Ramos stole the show
Twenty-one-year-old Goncalo Ramos was brought into the lineup for his World Cup debut for Portugal having played just 33 minutes of football for his country prior to that. However, he repaid the faith shown in him by Fernando Santos and the coaching staff by putting in a memorable performance.
He scored three lovely goals, with an impudent dink to beat Yann Sommer to complete his hat-trick. He also played an assist for Raphael Guerreiro to score.
#1. Portugal will face Morocco in the quarter-finals
Morocco showed great grit and determination as they dug deep to take Spain all the way to a penalty shoot-out earlier in the day.
Their cause was helped by a wasteful La Roja side who looked tame in front of goal. They were even worse in the penalty shootout as Pablo Sarabia, Carlos Soler, and Sergio Busquets all missed from the spot. Morocco showed good composure as they scored three of their four penalties to advance to the next round.
Portugal smashed Switzerland but will be wary of the threat posed by dark-horse Morocco in what seems to be a mouth-watering prospect. The game will be played on Saturday, December 10.
