Morocco has put itself in a fine position to qualify for the knockout stage after a clinical 1-0 win over Scotland at Gillette Stadium, with Ismael Sa
Morocco has put itself in a fine position to qualify for the knockout stage after a clinical 1-0 win over Scotland at Gillette Stadium, with Ismael Saibari’s blistering early finish proving the difference in a match the Atlas Lions controlled for long stretches but never fully closed out.
The decisive moment arrived inside the first 90 seconds. Brahim Díaz spotted Saibari sprinting in behind Scotland’s back line and floated a delicate ball into the right channel.
The PSV midfielder, who is on the verge of joining German giants Bayern Munich, got the better of Grant Hanley in the foot race, took one touch to set himself, and rifled a venomous volley beyond goalkeeper Angus Gunn and into the top corner.
It was his second goal in as many World Cup matches, following his strike against Brazil in the opener, and it instantly put Scotland on the back foot in front of a raucous crowd.
What followed was a match shaped largely by Moroccan control. Achraf Hakimi and Brahim Díaz combined repeatedly down the right, stretching a Scotland side that had begun the tournament with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Haiti.
The closest Morocco came to doubling their lead arrived just after the hour mark, when Bilal El Khannouss met a Hakimi corner with a firm header that Gunn did well to beat away.
Scotland, to their credit, refused to fold. Steve Clarke’s side grew into the contest as the first half wore on, and almost found an equaliser in stoppage time when Andy Robertson whipped a dangerous cross toward John McGinn at the back post, only for the Aston Villa midfielder to narrowly fail to make contact. The Tartan Army, who had travelled in huge numbers, sensed an opening and roared their side forward after the break.
The second half became increasingly frantic, with Scotland throwing bodies forward in search of a leveller. John McGinn and Scott McTominay both went down under challenges inside Morocco’s box without success, and there were audible protests in the 81st minute when McTominay appeared to be caught by Azzedine Ounahi inside the area, though referee Ilgiz Tantashev waved play on.
Substitute Lyndon Dykes added late pressure with a header that drifted agonisingly wide as the clock ran down, summing up a frustrating night for the Scots, who finished with an underwhelming expected-goals tally of roughly 0.54 despite their territorial pressure late on.
Morocco, meanwhile, had chances of their own to settle the contest, with Scotland’s defence and Gunn combining to keep the door shut in the closing stages despite the North Africans generating a stronger 0.97 xG across the ninety minutes.
There was a poignant moment in the 76th minute, when both sets of fans observed a minute’s applause in tribute to Donny Strathie, a 76-year-old Scotland supporter who had died in Boston earlier in the week — a reminder of the human stories that travel alongside every World Cup campaign.
The result leaves Morocco level on points with Brazil at the top of Group C, while Scotland’s hopes of reaching the knockout rounds for the first time in their history now hinge on their final group game against Brazil. Morocco close out their group against Haiti.
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