The Al Thumama Stadium, in Doha, was the scene of yet another upset at the World Cup in Qatar. This Sunday (27), the Moroccan team defeated Belgium, second in the FIFA ranking, by 2-0, in Group F of the competition.
The result temporarily led the Atlas Lions to lead the key, with four points. In the debut, the African team had another good performance and was superior, despite the goalless draw with Croatia. The Red Devils, with the defeat, continue with the three points of the hard-fought 1-0 victory over Canada. Croats and Canadians, including, play at 13:00 (Brasília time) this Saturday, at the Khalifa International Stadium, also in Doha.
نهاية المقابلة بفوز المنتخب الوطني أمام منتخب بلجيكا بهدفين مقابل لا شيء ?
?FULL TIME | Morocco 2 – 0 Belgium
It’s a win for our Atlas Lions ? PROUD OF YOU #DimaMaghrib ?? #TeamMorocco #FIFAWorldCup @pumafootball pic.twitter.com/1yrKG2Kq8w— Team du Maroc (@EnMaroc) November 27, 2022
The Moroccan fan didn’t know what it was like to celebrate a World Cup victory since 1998, in France, when the team beat Scotland 3-0. The Belgian, on the other hand, not only had the expectation of leaving the field classified to the round of 16, as he saw the end of a sequence of eight triumphs in the group stages of the World Cup, a record that had only been reached twice in history, both with Brazil, between 1986 and 1994 and from 2002 to 2010.
The games of the last round of Group F will be on Thursday (1st), at 12h. Belgium will try to rehabilitate against Croatia, at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, in Al Rayyan, while Morocco takes on Canada, again at Al Thumama.
Belgium attack does not scare
The coaches’ degree of satisfaction with what they saw in the first round was evident in the lineups. On the one hand, Walid Regragui, from Morocco, sent to the field almost the same team that faced Croatia. The only change was in goal – and at the last minute. Although Yassine Bounou lined up with his teammates to sing the national anthem, Munir El Kajoui started the match. The Moroccan federation only informed the change of holder, without further details.
In Belgium, Roberto Martínez made three changes in the team that beat Canada. Defender Leander Dendoncker, defensive midfielder Youri Tielmans and midfielder Yannick Carrasco left for tackles, respectively, by Thomas Meunier (who played at full-back, with Timothy Castagne at centre-back), Amadou Onana and Thorgan Hazard. The novelty of the Red Devils was the presence, on the bench, of striker Romelu Lukaku, who had been treating an injury to his left thigh and, at first, was discarded for this Sunday’s game.
Unlike the previous game, in which they were pressured, Belgium took the initiative. In the fourth minute, Michy Batshuayi received from fellow striker Thorgan Hazard in the area, on the left, behind the marker. The kick, face to face with Munir, exploded at the goalkeeper. Throughout the first half, however, the Europeans did not transform volume and ball possession (61%) into more clear opportunities.
WHAT A MOMENT, WHAT A GOAL! ??
THIS IS MOROCCO! ?? pic.twitter.com/fRnm9nEHBX
— FIFA World Cup ? (@fifaworldcup_pt) November 27, 2022
Courtois fails and Morocco decides
Marking strong and coming out on the counterattack with speed, Morocco gradually approached the Belgian area, but only managed to scare, in fact, in the dead ball. In the 45th minute, midfielder Hakim Ziyech took a free-kick from the right. With a lot of people ahead, Thibaut Courtois failed and let the ball go in, after being raised in the area. What would be the first goal of the match, however, was annulled because defender Romain Saïss, offside in relation to the marking, would have hindered the goalkeeper of the European selection in the bid.
The Atlas Lions returned from the break more offensive and the match at Al Thumama became more frank. At the sixth minute, Eden Hazard finished from the edge of the area and forced Munir to work, palming it to the side. The answer came at 11, in a cross beat by Sofiane Boufal, on the left, in the area, which came close to the Belgian left post. In the 20th minute, another save by the Moroccan goalkeeper, now by the also attacking Dries Mertens, who went between three markers and risked the half moon, in the middle of the goal.
The dead ball, however, was decisive. In the 27th minute, in a move similar to the first half, midfielder Abdelhamid Sabiri took a free kick in the area on the left, close to the bottom line. Once again, Courtois did not hold the kick, which went straight into the goal. From then on, Belgium took the lead, putting even Lukaku to fight in the aerial game, without success. In stoppage time, there was time for Ziyech to advance on the right and cross, in proportion, for striker Zakaria Aboukhlal to finish and give final numbers to the match.
ABOUKHLAL ??? pic.twitter.com/g0DMujx4Rv
— FIFA World Cup ? (@fifaworldcup_pt) November 27, 2022
