Portugal have laid down a marker heading into the Quarter Finals by thrashing Switzerland 6-1 in a huge win that unveiled a new hero in Gonçalo Ramos who scored a hat trick on his first start for Portugal.
Round of 16 Portugal v Switzerland Match Review
Minutes that Mattered
Welcome to the briefest of match summaries, like a minute by minute you find on professional websites except one that has only the minutes that matter. All wheat, no chaff.
And if the below isn’t enough, for those in Australia you can catch up via the SBS World Cup on Demand.
Pre Game Big news is that Cristiano Ronaldo has been benched for this big game, with the coaching team going with a one game veteran Gonçalo Ramos instead. Although, he does have a 100% goal record per game.
5′ Min First chance of the game for either side as Breel Embolo has a shot blocked for Switzerland, which leads to corner. Thankfully Breel Embolo is all right after an earlier Klinsmann type moment as he ran into the back of a Portugal defender. The resulting corner for Switzerland ends in no goal, but at ;east we’re off to s start.
17′ Min GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL FOR PORTUGAL
Who needs Ronaldo? His replacement in the starting side Gonçalo Ramos
explodes into life with a sensational strike. He gets the ball in the penalty area and goes for the smallest of gaps to the near post and hits it hard enough to beat the keeper.
PORTUGAL 1 SWITZERLAND 0
21′ Min Portugal are really on the attack now, with shots from Otávio and Gonçalo Ramos easily saved, but it is a welcome relief that there could be more goals coming after the previous Morocco v Spain clash.
28′ Min Free kick to Switzerland and fair enough too. Breel Embolo carries the ball, and a Portuguese defender for about 20 metres before he loses the ball. The defender probably should have been yellow carded. As for the free kick itself, Xherdan Shaqiri goes very close to scoring.
32′ Min GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL FOR PORTUGAL
From a corner Pepe steams onto the ball and smashes a bullet header just to the right of the Swiss keeper who appears to wave as it passes by. Portugal doing it easy now.
PORTUGAL 2 SWITZERLAND 0
37′ Min Switzerland go close to scoring but for a decent save and some scrambling goal line clearances. What wasn’t close was the follow up shot to the clearances which went at least 10 metres over the bar.
42′ Min Portugal break down the middle and eventually new Portuguese footballing hero Gonçalo Ramos is one on one with the Swiss keeper. His low shot is just tipped around the post with a fine save
HALF TIME – PORTUGAL 2 SWITZERLAND 0
51′ Min GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL FOR PORTUGAL
It’s two goals for new Portuguese footballing hero Gonçalo Ramos. Diogo Dalot fires in a low cross across the six yard box and Ramos is there to tap it in around the keeper. Ronaldo who we ask again.
PORTUGAL 3 SWITZERLAND 0
56′ Min GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL FOR PORTUGAL
Raphael joins the scoring list as Portugal storm down the field with passes criss-crossing all the way down. Gonçalo Ramos turns provider with the assist and Raphael hammers it into the net from the left for a fourth goal, and surely a quarter final sealed.
PORTUGAL 4 SWITZERLAND 0
58′ Min GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL FOR SWITZERLAND
From a Swiss corner the ball is fired into the penalty area and goes through everyone except for Manuel Akanji who is waiting at the far post for a tap in goal.
PORTUGAL 4 SWITZERLAND 1
67′ Min GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL FOR PORTUGAL
It’s a hat trick for new Portuguese footballing hero Gonçalo Ramos. A long ball down field catches out the Swiss defence, and the ball quickly finds its way to Joao Felix who lays on the pass for Gonçalo Ramos who does a deft little chip, just enough to jump it over the approaching keeper to score.
PORTUGAL 5 SWITZERLAND 1
70′ Min With the form Portugal are in right now, we’d better save our energy for just reporting the goals. Who knows, maybe even Ronaldo will get a minute or two here. They certainly have done the job without him.
75′ Min Ronaldo is indeed on, and just in time to take a free kick. He Pink Floyds it and that is that.
85′ Min Ronaldo scores but is a few metres offside when the pass is delivered. Probably an obvious one, he was the only non goal keeper in the Swiss half.
90′ +2 Min GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL FOR PORTUGAL
It’s a six pack for Portugal, and for the recently arrived Rafael Leão. He simply cuts back inside after a run down the left, and nails the shot past a tired Swiss keeper
PORTUGAL 6 SWITZERLAND 1
Final Score
PORTUGAL 6
Gonçalo Ramos 17′ Pepe 32′ Gonçalo Ramos 51′ Raphael 56′ Gonçalo Ramos 67′ Rafael Leão 90′ +2
SWITZERLAND 1
Manuel Akanji 58′
HT Portugal 2-0
Player of the Match
Gonçalo Ramos
Points of Interest
- Is Ronaldo finished? Kicked out of Man Utd. Replaced and how at Portugal. The warning signs are there for the end of career. Saudi Arabia come with a big money offer and Chelsea are interested too.
Round of 16 Portugal v Switzerland Match Stats
Coming soon.
Round of 16 Portugal v Switzerland Starting Teams
PORTUGAL (4-3-3)
22 Diogo Costa
2 Dalot
3 Pepe
4 Rúben Dias
5 Guerreiro
25 Otávio
14 William Carvalho
10 Bernardo Silva
8 Bruno Fernandes
26 Gonçalo Ramos
11 João Félix
SWITZERLAND (3-1-4-2)
1 Sommer
5 Akanji
22 Schär
13 Rodríguez
10 Xhaka
2 Fernandes
15 Sow
8 Freuler
17 Vargas
7 Embolo
23 Shaqiri
