Morocco v Portugal: World Cup 2022 quarter-final

Morocco v Portugal: World Cup 2022 quarter-final – live

Key events

34 min: Morocco attack down the left. Selim Amallah tries to connect with a pull-back from Yahia Attiyat Allah but the delivery is slightly behind him. He connects but sends a wild effort high and wide.

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30 min: Oof! Joao Felix capitalises on a poor defensive header from Jamaq El Yamiq and lashes a shot goalwards from the edge of the penalty area. It takes a deflection off the defender and fizzes narrowly wide. Bono was hopelessly wrongfooted and it’s a let-off for Morocco.

28 min: Unsurprisingly, Morocco are giving Portugal plenty to think about and are looking pretty dangerous themselves. Their defence is terrific and contrary to the bleating of several of the Spanish players who lost to them in the last round, they have no shortage of decent options going forward.

26 min: Ziyech curls a cross into the Portugal box, where En-Nesyri leaps to try and steer the ball goalwards. He only manages to send it over the bar with his left shoulder.

24 min: Referee Facundo Tello gets busy on his whistle, peeping furiously after Bruno Fernandes contested a high ball with Bono, leaving the goalkeeper flat on his back. Fernando was well within his rights to go for that high ball, in my opinion, but Mr Tello seems to think otherwise. Protected species, etc, although Bono didn’t seem particularly fussed by the challenge because he won the ball.

Fernandes keeper Bono after a challenge. Photograph: Petr David Josek/AP

23 min: From that corner, Morocco win yet another the ball going out off Fernandes as Boufal tried to dig out a cross. Portugal break upfield and Hakimi puts the ball out of play for a throw-in deep in Morocco territory under pressure from Felix.

22 min: Sofyan Amrabat plays the ball wide to Ziyech, whose attempted cross from the right is blocked. Corner for Morocco. From that, they win another.

20 min: The stadium now seems full, with ITV reporting from outside the ground that ticketless Morocco fans who were congregated outside might have been causing delays for those who did have the necessary paperwork.

18 min: Good work from Azzedine Ounahi, who advances upfield through the centre for Morocco on the counter. The ball is played wide to Hakim Ziyech, who cuts inside and pulls a low shot from distance well wide of the upright.

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16 min: Otavio plays a lofted ball from deep over the top and it’s almost but not quite into the path of Goncalo Ramos. Bono is quick off his line to claim.

15 min: Achraf Hakimi lumps the ball long under pressure from the Morocco right-back position, ceding possession to Portugal inside their own half.

12 min: Portugal try to play through the lines but Otavio loses possession after receiving a pass along the deck from Pepe. It’s a foul and he wins his side a free-kick. Bruno Fernandes sends the ball into the penalty area and Morocco clear it at the second or third time of asking, with Achraf Hakimi forced to block a volley from Raphael Guerreiro as they do so.

10 min: Morocco get forward with Sofiane Boufal on the ball out on the left flank. The ball’s played in behind the Portugal defence but Diogo Costa is quick off his line to get down and claim it.

8 min: Portugal enjoy a spell of possession, soundtracked by a cacophony of jeers. Pepe plays a long diagonal towards Joao Felix but the winger loses possession.

6 min: Morocco’s first corner is an outswinger and Youssef El-Nesyri leaps to try and steer the ball inside the far post with his head. It’s a decent opportunity but he puts the ball over the bar and then his head in his hands. It’s a lively start.

5 min: Attiya-Allah escapes down the inside left and tries to drill in a cross. Diogo Dalot gets back brilliantly to block. He’s having a terrific tournament.

Jabrane is tackled by Portugal’s Dalot. Photograph: Thanassis Stavrakis/AP

3 min: Every early Portuguese touch is being whistled and jeered by those Morocco fans who have made it into the stadium for the start of the game. Yahia Attiyat-Allah concedes an early free-kick out wide. The ball’s swung into the penalty area, where Joao Felix dives to get on the end of it. His effort from eight yards is on target but Bono saves and puts the ball out for a corner. Bruno Fernandes’s inswinger is cleared at the near post.

Felix attempts a head at goal. Photograph: Petr David Josek/AP

2 min: Morocco goalkeeper Bono, who had a wide beam of joy on his face as he sang his country’s national anthem before the game, gets an early touch, receiving the ball to feet before playing it to one of his centre-backs.

Morocco v Portugal is go!

1 min: Portugal get the ball rolling in a stadium that remains only half-full at kick-off. They play in white shirts, with a red stripe across the chest, white shorts and white socks. The players of Morocco wear red shirts, green shorts and red socks. Game on!

Not long now: With a ridiculous number of empty seats to be seen in the stadium and reports of hundreds, if not thousands of ticket-holding fans marooned outside and unable to get in for some reason or other, the teams march out on to the pitch. Here’s hoping those who have paid to get into this game are able to do so quickly and safely. Portugal’s fans are hugely outnumbered.

Morocco v Portugal: World Cup 2022 quarter-final – live

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