Portugal's Goncalo Ramos celebrates scoring their fifth goal and his hat-trick during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match against Switzerland at the Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar, on December 6, 2022 REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
Goncalo Ramos bagged an impressive hat-trick - first for this World Cup - as a dominant Portugal crushed Switzerland 6-1 at the Lusail Stadium to book a quarter-final showdown against Morocco.
Portugal coach Fernando Santos had dropped star Cristiano Ronaldo to the bench, with Ramos starting his place. The Benfica striker made no mistake scoring the opening goal just 17 minutes into the match before two more second-half goals to justify Santos’ decision.
Veteran Pepe, Raphael Guerreiro, and substitute Rafael Leao all scored for A Selecao. Manuel Akanji got a consolation strike for Switzerland, who failed to qualify for the quarter-final of a major tournament once again.
“We intend to have a team with fluidity. We played well, had a lot of trust and confidence. All the training sessions reflected today, everything worked and sometimes it doesn’t happen. We have four days before the next match against Morocco who beat Spain, one of the favourites,” Santos told reporters after the match
Portugal will now face Africa’s remaining team Morocco on Saturday at the Al Thumama Stadium.
The game started on a feisty note as the centreback and centre-forward battle got on earlier. Portugal’s Ruben Dias caught Breel Embolo with a stray arm, but the referee waved on despite the Swiss forward’s appeal for a freekick. Embolo soon had a sniff at goal, but his shot was blocked for a corner.
Despite the early Swiss probe, Portugal gradually dominated play, and Santos’ decision to start Ramos in place of Ronaldo quickly paid off for A Selecao.
The Benfica striker received the ball from Joao Felix and rifled his shot into the top corner to put Portugal in the lead with 17 minutes played.
The goal spurred Portugal, and Otavio fired straight at Yann Sommer after a fluid Portugal move set up the Porto man. Another swift move with Felix at the heart ended with Ramos, but the forward could only shoot straight at the keeper.
Switzerland had a rare chance as Xherdan Shaqiri curled a freekick over the wall, but Diogo Costa scrambled quickly enough to get a slight touch to push out for a corner.
Portugal took control again, but Fabian Schar was on hand to intercept an inviting cross headed for Ramos.
Portugal were not to be denied, and veteran defender Pepe made it two from the resultant corner in the 33rd minute. The 39-year-old rose highest, beating Manuel Akanji in the air to power his header majestically past Sommer.
On the other end, Diogo Dalot cleared on the line from Switzerland’s Remo Freuler’s header after keeper Costa had parried Edmilson Fernandes’ effort.
Sommer kept the Swiss in the game with a good save to deny Ramos his second after Bruno Fernandes had played the striker through just before halftime.
In the second half, Portugal continued where they stopped in the first as Ramos finally grabbed his second just after the restart. Diogo Dalot beat his man down the right, and Ramos was on hand to slot home past Sommer with a delicate touch in the 51st minute.
Ramos turned provider as Guerreiro made it four for the 2006 semi-finalists four minutes later. The Dortmund man coolly slotted into the roof of the net from just outside the six-yard box from a Ramos assist.
Switzerland pulled one back almost immediately as an unmarked Manuel Akanji tapped in from close range from a corner.
Switzerland players could not string passes together as the midfield of William Carvalho, Bernardo Silva, Otavio and Fernandes controlled proceedings.
Ramos completed his hat-trick in the 67th minute with a delightful chip over Sommer from a Felix assist.
Substitute Ronaldo, who came on to applause from the crowd, thought he had added to Portugal’s tally, but the striker’s finish was rightly ruled out for offside.
In added time, Leao, who had come on for Bruno Fernandes, put the icing on the cake with a delicious curler in the top corner.
“We probably missed a few challenges, but we have to admit they are better and faster in the offence,” Switzerland coach Murat Yakin said after the match.
“I congratulate Portugal, and we just have to take it. Defeat is hard, and we wanted to make our nation proud, but unfortunately, we couldn’t,” he added.
