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Portugal’s Goncalo Ramos scored three goals as his team thrashed Switzerland 6-1 to set up a quarter-final against Morocco in the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Ramos, on the pitch in place of the benched Cristiano Ronaldo, displayed the passing of the baton on Wednesday night at Lusail Stadium as the old-timers of Portuguese football gave an excellent opportunity for the younger generation to shine. Proving that Portugal isn’t capped without their old time players of the team.
Veteran Pepe, added to Ramos’s opener in the first half. Ramos scored his second goal early in the second half. Raphael Guerreiro added a fourth before the hour mark as Portugal started scoring for fun as they outclassed Switzerland. Then came the third for Ramos, with the 21-year-old becoming the first player to score a hat-trick in the knock-out stages of World Cup since 1990.
There was a balance to this Portugal team without the overbearing presence of their talismanic captain, who was dropped after he reacted angrily to being substituted against South Korea in the group stages.
Portugal played like a team – interdependent, cohesive with their movements with one another. For the first time in this tournament, they looked like they could win it.
Switzerland’s Manuel Akanji turned the ball in at the far post from a beautifully weighted cross for a consolation goal in the 56th minute but it was not enough to change the inevitable outcome of the game so late in the game.
Joao Felix made way for Ronaldo to a huge ovation in the 72nd minute, winning his 195th cap for Portugal after fans chanted his name in this 90,000-seater stadium for a quarter of an hour. A spectacular effort from the veteran striker in the 82nd minute was ruled as offside.
Rafael Leao, 23, scored with a wonderful finish in the 91st minute to leave Portugal facing Morocco in the quarter-finals on Saturday afternoon, before England take on France.
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