An exhibition by Gonçalo Ramos puts Portugal in the quarterfinals
The Portuguese team beats Switzerland with the ‘hat-trick’ of the Benfica striker
MADRID, 6 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Portugal got the last ticket for the quarterfinals of the World Cup in Qatar 2022, after beating Switzerland (6-1), thanks to a hat-trick from Gonçalo Ramos and goals from Pepe, Rafael Guerreiro and Rafael Leao, in a stellar game of the Benfica striker, who replaced Cristiano Ronaldo who was a substitute with a note.
Fernando Santos opted for a direct and combinative game, although without his great captain in the starting eleven. His level was not being the best and finally the coach, who did not like the Portuguese star’s comments when he was substituted against South Korea, decided not to have him at the start. A risky bet, but one that was effective, thanks to the extraordinary role of Gonçalo Ramos, who was the best of his kind.
Thus, the Portuguese team did not notice the absence of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner and soon got rid of a combative Switzerland, who could not do anything against a Portugal that came out dominating and in the first half put their ticket to the quarterfinals on track. Now, the Portuguese, who did not go beyond the round of 16 since 2006, will have to face off against Morocco, after the ‘Atlas Lions’ won the victory against Spain in the penalty shootout.
In any case, Fernando Santos’ men did not find the expected resistance from Murat Yakin’s men, deprived of their electric rhythm due to the solidity of the Portuguese and weighed down by a certain defensive weakness. And it is that the resistance of the Swiss team broke shortly after the first quarter of an hour.
João Félix put a measured ball in the area for Gonçalo Ramos, Cristiano Ronaldo’s substitute in this match, so that Olhão’s striker made a control oriented towards his left foot and burst the ball with a ball against which the player could do little or nothing. Swiss goalkeeper. Portugal grew after the goal and wanted to increase the punishment soon, despite Shaquiri’s attempt to equalize the contest with a powerful free-kick.
After half an hour of play, Bruno Fernandes hung a ball from the right corner into the heart of the area, where Pepe appeared to win the duel against the two center-backs and put away his header. Good minutes from Portugal, who even had the third in Gonçalo Ramos’s boots, but Sommer’s intuition prevented the third before the break.
The same script continued after the restart and the intensity with which Fernando Santos’ boys came out of the locker room soon found its reward. Gonçalo Ramos, in first place, signed his brace after finishing off a cross from Diogo Dalot’s near post first, and then Rafael Guerreiro finished off a great choral play to make it 4-0 on the scoreboard, when the hour had not yet elapsed of game.
Even so, Murat Yakin’s men did not give up and closed the gap on the scoreboard thanks to Manuel Akanji’s goal, who scored the first for his team after finishing off a corner. However, Portugal still had not said its last word and signed the ‘little hand’, thanks to a stellar Gonçalo Ramos, who sentenced the clash with his ‘hat-trick’.
The Benfica star reappeared between the lines to, this time, define the goalkeeper with a ‘mince’ and send the ball into the back of the net. Leao closed the win in added time after connecting a shot from the side of the area, which after reaching a great swing slipped through the Swiss squad.
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: PORTUGAL, 6 – SWITZERLAND, 1 (2-0, at halftime).
–LINE-UPS.
PORTUGAL: Diogo Costa; Guerreiro, Pepe, Ruben Dias, Dalot; Willian Carvalho, Otávio (Vitinha, min. 73), Bernardo Silva (Neves, min. 81), Bruno Fernandes (Leao, min. 87); Joao Félix (Cristiano Ronaldo, min. 73), and Gonçalo Ramos (Horta, min. 73).
SWITZERLAND: Summer; Schar (Comert, min. 46), Akanji, Rodriguez; Freuler (Zakaria, 54 mins), Xhaka, Sow (Seferovic, 54 mins), Fernandes, Vargas (Okafor, 66 mins), Shaqiri; y Embolus (Jashari, min. 89).
–GOALS.
1-0, minute 17. Ramos.
2-0, minute 33. Pepe.
3-0, minute 51. Ramos.
4-0, minute 55. Warrior.
4-1, minuto 58. Akanji.
5-1, minute 67. Ramos.
6-1, minute 92. Leao.
–REFEREE: César Arturo Ramos (MEX). He admonished Schar (min.43) and Comert (min.59) for Switzerland.
–STADIUM: Lusail.