Portugal’s forever dependency on Cristiano Ronaldo will be their own undoing later on in the tournament. The Selecao rode his hattrick against Spain to salvage a point, while the rest of the bunch were well below their usual standard, maybe save for Bernardo Silva.
In today’s game after Ronaldo struck the header, Portugal receded into mediocrity and were handed a battering by the Moroccans. What should’ve been a nickel-and-dime affair turned out to be a close contest with Portugal hanging on to their lives till the last minute. They let Morocco have the ball and invited pressure. Had it not been for the latter’s wastefulness, this could’ve been a disaster for the European champions.
The Selecao were supposed to dominate but were instead put to the sword. There’s no one else upfront apart from Ronaldo who can provide a genuine attacking outlet while the defense remains a mess. Pepe and Rafael Guerrero shone, but Portugal has to be a cohesive unit to see off mightier sides, rather than rely on individual brilliance all the time to bail themselves out. Unless this changes, they aren’t making it too deep into the tournament.