Key posts
Portugal in the ascendancy
11 min: Liverpool’s Diogo Dalot attacks down the right flank to the delight of the crowd before Bruno Fernandes does the same. Still the Portuguese in possession and things look to just be settling a tad now after the Swiss weren’t without their half-chances in the opening 10 minutes.
Portugal 0 Switzerland 0.
POLL: Who will make the quarter-finals?
Concerns for Embolo
3 min: Swiss frontman Breel Embolo has gone to ground after what looked to be a reasonably innocuous clash. There appears to be a little bit of concern for the Monaco forward but he’s all clear now. As is the VAR check #thinkingemoji.
Breel Embolo tussles with Portugal’s Ruben Dias.Credit:Getty
Portugal 0 Switzerland 0.
Kick-off
1 min: Play is under way at the Lusail Stadium.
Portugal 0 Switzerland 0.
Spain eliminated
By Vince Rugari
There’s been a shock this morning already with Morocco knocking out Spain on penalties. Vince Rugari was there for the Herald and The Age.
Morocco teammates toast goalkeeper Yassine Bounou after the penalty shootout triumph.Credit:Getty
Read his full report here.
Ronaldo benched!
Cristiano Ronaldo will not start for Portugal for the first time in more than 30 matches.
The move came a day after his coach expressed frustration about his team captain’s attitude in the last game. Goncalo Ramos, who plays for Portuguese club Benfica, started in Ronaldo’s place at Lusail Stadium.
Ronaldo jogged onto the field for the warm-up to loud cheers. He came out alone after the starters, leading the substitutes onto the field and kicking the ball around with them in light drills.
After warming up, Ronaldo walked through the tunnel toward the locker room and stopped to pause for a photo with a female volunteer. He leaned down and draped his arm around her for the picture.
Joao Cancelo, a fullback who started all three matches of the group stage, was also dropped from the starting line-up.
Ronald’s benching came after he showed obvious displeasure at being removed from the game against South Korea on Friday.
AP
