IBERIANS IN LAST-16
DRAMATIC: THE FINAL GROUP GAMES DOMINATED BY VAR DECISIONS
Spain to face Russia while Portugal will be up against Uruguay at the weekend.
Spain and Portugal reached the World Cup last 16 last night after two dramatic final group games dominated by VAR decisions.
Iago Aspas scored a VAR-assisted equaliser in injury time as Spain scrambled to a 2-2 draw with Morocco in a dramatic finale to their Group B campaign.
Aspas’s winner, initially disallowed but awarded after inter- vention from the Video Assistant Referee, saw Spain stumble into the last 16 as group winners.
The Spaniards will now face Russia on Sunday after Portugal were held to a 1-1 draw by Iran in the night’s other game. Portugal face Uruguay on Saturday.
Spain survived a real scare from a spirited Morocco side who had been leading 2-1 when the 90th minute began.
Aspas’ clever flick from a corner was initially adjudged by the assistant referee to have been offside. But after intervention from VAR it was given as a goal, much to the consternation of the Moroccan players and substitutes, some of whom stormed the pitch in protest.
The North Africans, who had yet to score a point or even a goal before last night, started brightly, compact without the ball and breaking at speed.
Morocco took the lead on 14 minutes when Khalid Boutaib took advantage of a horrible mixup between Sergio Ramos and Andres Iniesta to race through and slide the ball calmly through David De Gea’s legs.
Spain were level five minutes later when some crisp passing sent Iniesta free inside Morocco’s box. He cut back with the outside of his right boot to Isco, who fired into the roof of Monir El-Kajoui’s net from six yards.
Morocco sat back in the second period and invited Spain to try to break them down. Morocco were aggrieved not to be awarded a penalty 10 minutes from time when the ball struck Pique’s fist in the area.
They weren’t complaining minutes later, however, when substitute Youssef En-Nesyri headed home the corner that followed to the rapture of the Moroccan supporters. But Aspas’ late equaliser took some of the gloss of what had been a spirited and well-drilled performance.
Cristiano Ronaldo won a second-half spot-kick after a video review but saw his effort saved, before Portugal conceded an injury-time spot-kick.
Ricardo Quaresma curled in a trademark trivela goal on the stroke of half-time but Karim Ansarifard’s penalty dropped Portugal to second in the group. –