Morocco were really unlucky to lose the opening game to Iran, as Aziz Bouhaddouz’s inadvertent header into his own net did their undoing after fighting valiantly for 90 minutes. But if you look closely, they could muster little going forward even though the defense held on its own.
Today, the Atlas Lions breathed new life as they appeared lively in the attack and pushed Portugal on the backfoot, especially in dominating second-half.
They kept a lion’s share of the possession and unleashed an avalanche of attack on the Portuguese bastion.
But Morocco were painfully profligate in the final third and saw enough chances to actually seal all three points. They attempted a staggering 15 shots, but only four were aimed on target!
Medhi Benatia must be kicking himself in the dressing room, for the Juventus midfielder alone, was a recipient of four to five clear-cut chances, but lacked the cutting edge to bury them.
Morocco did everything right today, if only they had the shooting boots on to turn the match around.