FIFA World Cup, Portugal crush Switzerland to reach quarter-finals: Stats
Goncalo Ramos scored a hat-trick as Portugal beat Switzerland 6-1 to enter the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2022. The 21-year-old put Portugal 1-0 up. Pepe's thumping header off Bruno Fernandes' corner doubled their lead. Post-half-time, Ramos struck twice and even turned into a provider for Raphael Guerreiro. Switzerland pulled one back but Portugal slid a sixth to hand a telling defeat.
Ramos attains these records
Ramos clocked the first hat-trick of the Qatar World Cup. As per Opta, Ramos is the first player to score a hat-trick on his first FIFA World Cup start since Miroslav Klose for Germany in 2002. As per William Hill, Ramos is the first man to score a hat-trick in a WC knockout stage game since Tomas Skuhravy against Costa Rica in 1990.
Fernandes inks history for Portugal
As per Opta, Fernandes has been directly involved in five goals in three goals at the 2022 WC (two goals and three assists). It's the most by a Portuguese player in an edition of the tournament since 1966 (10 Eusebio and 6 Jose Torres).
Ramos dazzles on his World Cup debut
As per Squawka, Ramos is now Portugal's joint-fourth-highest scorer in the World Cup in merely 85 minutes of action. He has equaled Jose Augusto and Torres. He completed 26 touches, seven passes, and six touches in the opposite box. He attempted six shots with five on target. He won four duels, besides scoring thrice and assisting once.
Unwanted record for Ronaldo
Ronaldo didn't start a game for Portugal at a major tournament for the first time since 2008 (also against Switzerland), thereby ending a 31-match streak.
Oldest goal-scorer in World Cup knockouts
Pepe has become the oldest-ever player to score in a knockout stage game at the World Cup (39y 283d). He netted only his eighth goal in international football. It was his second goal in the World Cup.
Portugal enter record books
Portugal became only the second team in the 21st century to score six-plus goals in a World Cup knockout stage match after Germany versus Brazil in the 2014 semi-final (7-1). Portugal have reached the quarters of the World Cup for just the third time, after 2006 and 1966, ending a run of five successive knockout games at the tournament without a win (D1 L4).
How did the match pan out?
Ramos set the tune with a 17th-minute goal, with Pepe's powerful header putting them 2-0 up before the break. Portugal struck twice in quick succession before Manuel Akanji scored Switzerland's only goal of the fixture. Portugal were far from done, as Ramos cleverly chipped in the fifth. Substitute Ronaldo had a goal disallowed, but Rafael Leao curled in a sixth for a thumping win.
Portugal to face Morocco in the quarter-final
Portugal will be up against Walid Regragui's Morocco in the quarter-finals on December 10 (8:30 PM IST). Earlier, Morocco knocked Spain out of the FIFA World Cup 2022 with a 3-0 win in the penalty shoot-out.
