Portugal defeated Switzerland 6-1 in the round of 16 to reach the quarterfinals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where they will play Morocco.
The Seleccao won Group H to make it to the knockout stages, where they will face Switzerland, who finished second in Group G. In the group stage, both teams had the same record, winning two games and losing one.
Despite this, the Swiss came in second due to a lower goal difference.
Cristiano Ronaldo started from the bench, a move that raised some eyebrows.
With two well-worked goals in the first half, Portugal established their dominance over the game, leaving Switzerland with a significant task at hand. They had 0.95 shots on goal in the first period, but Goncalo Ramos scored two goals, including one of the most unlikely goals ever.
Pepe then demonstrated his expertise by attacking the ball first to score Portugal’s second goal of the game after being alert for a corner taken by Bruno Fernandes. At the break, Switzerland was 2-0 down.
Ramos scored a pair for Portugal just six minutes into the second half, continuing the offensive momentum. He got to Diogo Dalot’s teasing delivery toward the near post first, and he squeezed the ball past Yann Sommer.
Raphael Guerreiro made a darting run from left back and smashed the ball into the roof of the net after Ramos gave him an assist.
After that, Switzerland had a chance to score, and Manuel Akanji finished it off to give them a consolation goal. But the Seleccao kept going, scoring two more goals before the final whistle.
Goncalo Ramos chipped over Yann Sommer to complete his hat trick. With a curl, Rafael Leao, a substitute, made it 6-1.
Portugal advanced to the next round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup by defeating Switzerland 6-1. After that, let’s go over the five points of discussion from the game.
#5. Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Cancelo started from the bench
Portugal’s match in the round of 16 in a bold move by Fernando Santos. Ronaldo and Cancelo were benched. Goncalo Ramos and Diogo Dalot took over for the Premier League stars and performed well enough to support their coach’s decision.
Dalot sprinted down the right flank and played a low cross into the box to create the opportunity for the Seleccao’s third goal. He was successful in four tackles and two blocks and won five of his six matches. In this match, Ramos made his debut and scored a hat trick. He also assisted in one way.
#4. Switzerland failed to make the most of their chances
Portugal attempted six shots and Switzerland attempted four. Switzerland failed to capitalize on its opportunities.
Nonetheless, Switzerland was dreary before its objective and neglected to test Diogo Costa between the sticks. In the second half, they even dominated possession, holding the ball for 58% of the time. However, Akanji scored a consolation goal after they failed to score on six attempts.
#3. Portugal has a variety of young goalscoring threats
Portugal is stacked with exceptional talent in nearly every position on the field. Portugal has a variety of young goalscoring threats. The Seleccao appear ready to grind out results, regardless of whether coach Santos changes the team or stays with his preferred lineup. Because of this, they are one of the teams that could win the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
Four different players contributed to Portugal’s six goals, with Goncalo Ramos scoring a hat trick being the standout performer. The defeat was also helped by four different players. The fact that three of the contributors are under the age of 23 only adds to its sweetness. The Seleccao will greatly benefit from this going into the final phase of the tournament.
#2. Goncalo Ramos, Ronaldo’s replacement, stole the show.
The 21-year-old Goncalo Ramos made his Portugal World Cup debut after playing just 33 minutes of football for his country before that. However, he delivered a memorable performance to repay Fernando Santos’ and the coaching staff’s faith in him.
He beat Yann Sommer to complete his hat trick by scoring three lovely goals with an impolite dink. Additionally, he assisted Raphael Guerreiro in scoring.
#1. Portugal will face Morocco in the quarter-finals
Morocco put in a lot of effort and grit to beat Spain in a penalty shootout earlier in the day.
A wasteful La Roja team that appeared tame in front of the goal helped their cause.
In the penalty shootout, Pablo Sarabia, Carlos Soler, and Sergio Busquets all missed from the spot. This made them even worse. Morocco won three of their four penalties with good composure to advance to the next round.
Portugal defeated Switzerland, but they will be wary of Morocco’s threat in what seems like an intriguing matchup. The match will take place on December 10th, 2017.