World Cup 2022 – Morocco 0-0 Spain AET (3-0 on pens): Hakimi scores winning penalty after Sarabia, Soler and Busquets all miss

World Cup 2022 – Morocco 0-0 Spain AET (3-0 on pens): Achraf Hakimi scores winning penalty after Pablo Sarabia, Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets all miss

Morocco players celebrate after beating Spain on penalties

For the first time ever, Morocco has advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals after Spain missed three penalties in a nail-biting shootout that followed a 120-minute scoreless draw.

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Match report as Spain are dumped out 3-0 on penalties by Morocco; Nayef Aguerd headed over in the first half for Morocco as Spain’s attack faltered; Pablo Sarabia grazed a post with a volley in the final minute of extra-time; Morocco will face Portugal on Saturday at 3pm

Spain’s attack flaws were exposed when they were finally eliminated with just one shot on target throughout the entire game, their lowest-ever total in a World Cup game.

Nayef Aguerd of West Ham, a center-back, missed Morocco’s best opportunity of the opening period with a close-range header. After a dull second half, Spain’s Pablo Sarabia missed a post with a volley in the waning seconds before Morocco’s replacement Walid Cheddira was denied one-on-one by Unai Simon.

Big moments in the game…

25 min: Offside flag goes up after Morocco goalkeeper Bono pushes Gavi shot onto crossbar and Torres denied by goal line clearance

26 min: Asensio beats the Morocco offside trap but fires into side netting

43 min: Boufal crosses from the left and unmarked Aguerd heads over with best chance of first half

114 min: Morocco substitute Cheddira denied by Unai Simon

120+3 min: Sarabia grazes post with volley in last chance of match

How Morocco stunned Spain

Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou is chaired off the field by his team-mates

Despite having 77% of the ball and making 926 precise passes, Luis Enrique’s team was unable to overcome a tenacious Morocco. Spain struggled the entire game. Bono pushed Gavi’s shot against the crossbar, and Ferran Torres’ follow-up shot was stopped in the six-yard box, but the offside flag was still raised. The first period’s greatest start belonged to Marco Asensio, who grabbed a pass in front of the Moroccan defense and volleyed it into the side-netting.

Prior to Simon saving Noussair Mazraoui’s long-range attempt at the second attempt, Morocco had already seen Hakimi whistle a free-kick not far over. The former Southampton winger Sofiane Boufal crossed for Aguerd, who missed with a free header. This was their best opportunity, though.

Cheddira almost won it for them in extra-time, denied by the right leg of Simon, although they rode their luck when Sarabia volleyed off a post with the last kick.

He struck the woodwork again moments later, side-footing his penalty off the right post after Abdelhamid Sabiri had put Morocco ahead. Hakim Ziyech doubled their advantage and Bono put them on the brink of victory, saving from Soler.

But Badr Benoun was kept out by Simon to keep Spain in it although Bono delivered once more, immediately denying captain Busquets before Hakimi audaciously won it with a Panenka.

Morocco keeper Bono saves Carlos Soler’s penalty

Before halftime, both teams had the opportunity to increase the score, but six minutes into the second half, Ramos turned a strong low cross from the once-impressive Diogo Dalot through Sommer’s legs to score the game’s third goal.

Three quickly turned into four as Switzerland’s heads fell, and Guerreiro was given a clear path forward by Edmilson Fernandes’ careless defending, who then met Ramos’ pass and fired into the roof of the net.

At least Akanji’s close-range goal gave Switzerland a lead, but Ramos’ deft dink beat Sommer and gave him the game’s top honor just nine minutes, sending Switzerland back to picking the ball out of their own net.

As the game progressed on, it appeared more and more like a statement victory, and Leao showed off the breadth of quality at Portugal’s disposal by curling in a beautiful sixth four minutes after coming off the bench.

That resulted in his nation’s second-largest World Cup victory to date and Switzerland’s greatest loss in tournament history.

Walid Cheddira is denied by the Spain defenders in extra time

What does the result mean?

Morocco will now face Portugal, who hammered Switzerland 6-1 in their last-16 tie, in the quarter-finals on Saturday December 10 at 3pm.

Opta stats: Spain stumble on penalties again

Morocco joins Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002, and Ghana in 2010 as the fourth African team to advance to the World Cup quarterfinals.

This was only the second World Cup penalty shootout that an African team participated in, with Morocco being the first (previously Ghana 2-4 Uruguay in 2010).

Spain has lost four penalty shootouts in World Cup history and is just the second team to not score in one, following Switzerland against Ukraine in 2006.

Spain had just one shot on goal during the entire 120 minutes of play; they have never had fewer in a single World Cup game since 1966 (the earliest year for which statistics is available).

Quarter-final fixtures

Friday December 9

Croatia vs Brazil – Kick-off 3pm

Netherlands vs Argentina – Kick-off 7pm

Saturday December 10

Morocco vs Portugal – Kick-off 3pm

England vs France – Kick-off 7pm

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