Morocco plays Portugal in the quarterfinals of the Qatar 2022 tournament after defeating Spain on penalties in the previous round.
We provide a preview of the match before it begins on Saturday at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar, along with additional analysis from our supercomputer model.
After the Atlas Lions startled Spain and now have their sights set on tournament history, Bruno Fernandes and Portugal are aware of the potential for an upset by Morocco in their World Cup quarterfinal.
Yassine Bounou’s saves helped Walid Regragui’s team hold La Roja to a 0-0 draw before defeating them 3-0 on penalties.
In the group stage, Portugal had been efficient but unspectacular. However, in the round of 16, they let go and destroyed Switzerland 6-1 in one of the best performances by any team at Qatar 2022.
Goncalo Ramos replaced the benched Cristiano Ronaldo and added a hat-trick.
In the shootout, he was the Atlas Lions’ hero, save two penalties while the other struck the post but he appeared to have it covered still.
Will Fernando Santos stand by his decision to bench Cristiano Ronaldo? He should, based on how the team performed against Switzerland.
Santos’ team has a 55.8% chance of making it to the semi-finals in the full 90 minutes, making Portugal the clear favorites in this match.