Magnificent Morocco send Spain packing to reach their first World Cup quarterfinal

EDUCATION CITY, Qatar -- Morocco stunned Spain to scope the World Cup quarterfinals with right-back Achraf Hakimi scoring the decisive spot-kick successful a punishment shoot-out following a 0-0 draw astatine Education City.

Paris Saint-Germain defender Hakimi scored with a Panenka punishment aft Spain missed 3 spot-kicks and exited with a 3-0 shoot-out defeat. And Morocco made past by reaching their archetypal quarterfinal and besides becoming the archetypal Arab federation to advancement to that signifier of the tournament.

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Rapid reaction

1. Amazing Morocco marque past by beating Spain

Morocco volition play a World Cup quarterfinal for the archetypal clip aft eliminating 2010 satellite champions Spain astatine Education City. And the alleged Atlas Lions are present 1 measurement distant from making past arsenic the archetypal African federation to scope the semifinals by beating either Portugal oregon Switzerland successful Saturday's last-eight tie.

Coach Walid Regragui's squad went into this crippled having conceded conscionable 1 extremity -- an ain extremity -- successful the tourney truthful acold and their antiaircraft organisation was important successful overcoming Luis Enrique's team. Morocco seldom looked troubled by Spain, but their inability to people themselves during mean clip and extra-time meant that the crippled went to penalties.

And that's wherever goalkeeper Yassine Bounou emerged arsenic a nationalist leader by redeeming penalties from Sergio Busquets and Carlos Soler, arsenic good arsenic seeing Pablo Sarabia deed a post, arsenic Spain suffered the ignominy of losing a punishment shootout without scoring a azygous 1 of their spot-kicks. The decision means Spain person present mislaid 4 of their 5 World Cup punishment shoot-outs.

For Morocco, though, the accidental to spell adjacent further successful this World Cup has present opened up. Whoever they look successful the adjacent round, they volition not beryllium overshadowed by their opponents and could yet advancement each the mode to a semifinal against either England oregon France. In the archetypal World Cup to beryllium staged successful an Arab nation, Morocco's advancement ensures that the full portion inactive has a squad to propulsion its enactment behind.

2. Spain deficiency goals

Spain person been an anomaly astatine Qatar 2022. Only England (12) person scored much goals than Spain, who went into the Morocco crippled having netted 10 times successful the radical stage, but contempt their numbers, Luis Enrique's squad person virtually nary extremity menace against well-organised opponents.

The 7-0 triumph against Costa Rica successful their opening crippled has skewed the representation with the 2010 World Cup winners due to the fact that they tried everything against Morocco and ne'er looked similar scoring. Enrique started with Marco Asensio up of Alvaro Morata, but the Real Madrid guardant offered small menace and was lone capable to deed the side-netting with his 1 wide accidental successful the first-half.

But Morata, erstwhile helium came connected conscionable aft the hr mark, was small better. He made much penetrating runs than Asensio, but his finishing and consciousness meant helium did thing with the opportunities helium created. Enrique was excessively dilatory successful throwing Nico Williams and Ansu Fati into the action.

When they came on, the 2 forwards made a quality and enabled Spain to get down the well-organised Morocco defence. They crashed retired of this tourney due to the fact that they had nary cutting borderline erstwhile it mattered.

3. Morocco fans propulsion squad ahead

If the World Cup last was decided by the champion fans astatine Qatar 2022, we would each beryllium looking up to a clash with betwixt Argentina and Morocco astatine Lusail Stadium. You'll person heard each astir the Argentina fans -- they person been magnificent successful presumption of their numbers, their songs and the mode they person filled each stadium successful a oversea of bluish and achromatic but the Morocco supporters person been likewise large and passionate. This crippled brought retired the champion of them.

Deep-rooted humanities and geographical tensions betwixt Spain and Morocco added existent spice to the atmosphere, but it was a show of unthinkable colour and sound by the Morocco fans that enabled their squad to marque the crippled truthful pugnacious for Spain. But the Morocco enactment wrong Education City went beyond specified backing for the Walid Regragui's team. As the past African squad successful the competition, they were already carrying the hopes of a continent, but successful the archetypal World Cup staged successful the Middle East, Morocco's beingness arsenic a squad from an Arab federation besides matters.

Among the Morocco flags were galore Palestinian flags, which person been salient astatine each crippled involving a squad from North Africa oregon the Middle East, and Morocco manager Regragui said earlier the crippled that his squad knew they were representing much than their country.

"We travel successful with a winner's attitude, we privation to hoist our Moroccan flag," helium said. "And yes each Arabs and Africans. We privation their prayers and their support. Before it was conscionable the Moroccans, present we're going to adhd the Africans and the Arabs." That Morocco person made it into the quarterfinals is immense for this World Cup and the region.

Player ratings (1 = worst, 10 = best)

Morocco: Yassine Bounou 9; Achraf Hakimi 7, Nayef Aguerd 8; Romain Saiss 7, Noussair Mazraoui 7; Azzedine Ounahi 6, Sofyan Amrabat 6, Selim Amallah 6; Hakim Ziyech 7, Youssef En-Nesyri 6, Sofiane Boufal 7.

Subs: Abde Ezzalzouli 6, Walid Cheddira 5, Abdelhamid Sabiri 7, Yahya Attiat-Allah 6, Jawad El Yamiq 6, Badr Benoun 6

Spain: Unai Simon 7; Marcos Llorente 6, Rodri 8, Aymeric Laporte 7, Jordi Alba 6; Gavi 6, Sergio Busquets 6, Pedri 6; Ferran Torres 5, Marco Asensio 5, Dani Olmo 6.

Subs: Alvaro Morata 6, Carlos Soler 6, Nico Williams 7, Ansu Fati 7, Alejandro Balde 6, Pablo Sarabia 6.

Best and worst performers

BEST: Yassine Bounou

What an astonishing show successful the punishment shootout by the Morocco goalkeeper. Stunning saves against Sergio Busquets and Carlos Soler.

WORST: Marco Asensio

Chosen up of the in-form Alvaro Morata to pb Spain's attack, Asensio had fewer chances, but helium should person done overmuch amended with those helium had.

Highlights and notable moments

Madrid-born Achraf Hakimi stepped up to nonstop Morocco done to their archetypal ever World Cup quarterfinal.

After the match: What the players and managers said

Morocco subordinate Bilal El Khannouss: "We person written Morocco's history. Morocco had ne'er qualified for the 4th finals of the WC before. What an unthinkable time for us! We did it together. We person a large team. The caput manager has created a large squad spirit. We believed successful america and successful the information we could bushed them and we did it. We didn't hole for the punishment shootout yesterday. We didn't practice."

Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)

- Gavi: At 18y-123d, Gavi is the youngest antheral to commencement a FIFA WC KO Stage lucifer since Pelé successful the 1958 Final (17y-249d).

- This is the 7th lucifer to decorativeness 0-0 astatine the 2022 World Cup - tied for the astir 0-0 matches astatine a azygous men's World Cup (2014, 2010, 2006, and 1982).

- Spain: eliminated connected penalties for the 3rd consecutive large tournament.

- Spain finishes with 1 changeable connected target. That is tied for their fewest shots connected people successful a FIFA World Cup lucifer going backmost to 1966, they did that 3 different times. The astir caller was successful a 2006 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 lucifer against France wherever they mislaid 3-1.

Up next

Morocco: The Atlas Lions volition look the victor of Portugal and Switzerland successful their archetypal ever World Cup quarterfinal connected Dec. 10 astatine 10 a.m. ET.

Spain: Luis Enrique's broadside are eliminated from the World Cup, and volition look up astatine UEFA EURO qualifying successful the outpouring of 2023.