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Portugal thrashed a hapless Switzerland 6-1 in the round of 16 in the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, December 6. They will face Morocco in the quarter-finals.
The Seleccao qualified as winners of Group H, finishing with six points from three games. They defeated Uruguay and Ghana but lost to South Korea on the final matchday of the group stage. Fernando Santos made a bold decision to bench Cristiano Ronaldo as he fielded a modified lineup.
Switzerland, on the other hand, qualified as runners-up in Group G but only by virtue of an inferior goal difference to Brazil. They did well to defeat Cameroon and Serbia but lost to the eventual group winners.
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Portugal and Switzerland jostled for possession in the first half but the Seleccao made the most of their chances. They attempted six shots, with five of them on target. Meanwhile, the Swiss attempted four shots but hit the target just twice.
Goncalo Ramos gave Portugal the lead after 17 minutes after he was played through by Joao Felix. He squeezed the ball into the roof of the net from a tight angle, leaving Yann Sommer rooted to his spot. Pepe then rolled back the years as he attacked a corner from Bruno Fernandes with ferocity and thumped in the Seleccao's second goal after 33 minutes.
Switzerland looked to regroup as they trailed by two goals heading into the break.
Portugal began the second half as they ended the first, putting Switzerland under tremendous pressure by attacking from wide areas. Diogo Dalot ventured forward and played a low cross towards the near post as Ramos attacked the ball to score his second goal of the game just six minutes after the restart. He then turned provider, assisting Raphael Guerreiro for a thumping finish to make it 4-0.
Manuel Akanji then Switzerland fans some respite, scoring a consolation goal in the 58th minute. However, the Swiss found themselves put to the sword once again as Goncalo Ramos was played through by Felix and delicately lifted the ball over the onrushing Sommer to complete his hat-trick.
Substitute Rafael Leao completed the rout with a slashing shot into the side-netting as Portugal eliminated Switzerland. On that note, let's take a look at the five hits and flops from the game.
#5. Hit - Joao Felix
Felix showed great awareness and got into some good positions while Portugal were on the offensive. He played two key passes, one accurate cross, and two accurate long balls. Felix provided an assist for Goncalo Ramos' first goal of the game as he played him into open space.
Joao Felix was also good at recovering the ball, winning four of his five duels and making one interception and two tackles. He assisted Ramos for his third goal midway through the second half as Portugal went 5-1 ahead.
#4. Flop - Fabian Schar
Fabian Schar had a poor game for Switzerland and was also booked for a clumsy tackle just before half-time. This led to him being replaced at the break as he struggled to keep up with the Seleccao's pacey forwards.
He won just two duels and was dispossessed seven times. He attempted six long balls but completed just one of those.
#3. Hit - Raphael Guerreiro
Guerreiro had a great game for Portugal as he wreaked havoc on the left flank with his pace and trickery. He completed one dribble and won four duels, making two tackles and one interception. He scored a goal with a powerful shot into the roof of the net as Portugal went 4-0 up after 55 minutes.
Guerreiro also assisted the Seleccao's sixth goal of the night as he played Rafael Leao into open space to go ahead and finish the move off with a sublime finish.
#2. Flop - Yann Sommer
Yann Sommer had a busy night between the sticks for Switzerland as he conceded six goals despite making three saves in the game. However, his positioning for three of the goals can be questioned.
Sommer left his near post exposed as Goncalo Ramos managed to squeeze the ball into the net from a virtually impossible angle. He then failed to judge a cross from Fernandes as Pepe scored from point-blank range. Sommer was beaten by Ramos at the near post as the ball went through his legs. Another instance saw him left embarrassed as he was chipped.
#1. Goncalo Ramos
In what turned out to be a masterful choice by coach Fernando Santos, Ramos put in a performance for the ages as he scored the first hat-trick of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He added to that with an assist for Portugal's fourth goal in the second half.
What made his hat-trick sweet was the difficulty of the goals he scored. Despite creating just 1.28 xG for his five shots on target, Ramos scored three goals. His first was from a tight angle as he placed the ball perfectly into the top corner. Goncalo Ramos scored his second with a deft finish at the near post, before adding the icing to the cake with a delightful dink to make it 5-1.
