Morocco – Spain: Qatar World Cup 2022, live | La Roja and the Moroccan national team play for the quarter-finals after extra time | Qatar World Cup 2022

Keys part one

So far, Spain has made it clear that the ball is theirs, the only team that shapes football from the roots to speed up and shake on the opposite field. It is a monologue that does not bear fruit at the moment because Morocco’s generous and supportive effort does not allow it. There are no cracks in the defensive drill or Spanish prowess in the decisive counters. These are the keys to the first part.

Spain, breadth without depth. Morocco is striving for supremacy in gangs – in addition to closing the internal passages – so that Spain cannot express itself with extremists, with Olmo and Ferran Torres. On a couple of occasions, the full-backs were long lights and doubled down the side, and that’s when La Roja found depth, and the bottom line. But the climb is calculated because Spain knows Morocco has shot it, and the transitions are at the speed of light.

Solution? For Spain, the game is played in a few plots, at 30 meters only because it is measured against an opponent who defends in his field but, in addition, leaves the defense line ahead. The solutions to dismantle the defensive framework are not many, beyond opportunistic genius. But there is. One is to tear down the walls. And the other, torn from behind and obliquely. This has been proven twice by Alba (pitcher) and Asensio (masker), and they almost didn’t get away with it.

Pedro, confused. It’s weird about Pedri because he always reads matches like magic. But inside Spain he needs to be in touch with the ball and has decided to stay a step back to help prepare, to limit himself to passing between the lines. It just so happens that he has to be the one occupying those spaces, just like Gavi does. If Badri imitates him and steps forward to appear in the gaps that arise when the Moroccan jumps over the man, Spain will be able to show more stable football.

Morocco transfers. With Boufal and Ziyech on the wings, Morocco made it clear that their aim was to run on the wings and counter, backed by skilful wingers in the middle and shooting. Llorente had some more problems on his part than Alba, at the moment solvent for closing races and spaces. But Spain must keep an eye on half of the rival contras because Morocco steals and shoots.