The "adult hunter" stands in the way of Ronaldo. The list of victims is frightening
Portugal seems the most likely candidate to reach the quarter-finals when it faces Switzerland on Tuesday in the Qatar 2022 World Cup at Lusail Stadium, but it realizes that the revolting “La Nati” team, which has surprises in front of football giants in recent years, will be a difficult match, while it will be an obsession for the legend Cristiano Ronaldo. On the final leg of his international career.
"Seleção" has perhaps one of the best elements in all positions, but coach Fernando Santos is faulted for not extracting the best from some of his players, in a squad capable of achieving a first world title in its history.
Portugal reached the elimination rounds in Qatar for the fifth time in the World Cup, and its best result remains the third place in the 1966 World Cup in England, and in modern history the fourth place in 2006.
It topped its eighth group after two opening victories over Ghana and Uruguay, before falling in the final confrontation against South Korea, after ensuring its qualification.
Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo made history in the first round when he became the first player to score in five World Cups, with his only penalty goal in a 3-2 win over Ghana in the first match.
But his teammate Bruno Fernandes grabbed the limelight after he contributed directly to four goals out of six in three matches, scoring two in addition to two assists.
Ronaldo realizes that he must raise his level if he wants to contribute to Portugal reaching the quarter-finals for only the third time in its history, and the record-breaking lover will inevitably be motivated after his eternal rival Lionel Messi surpassed him in the number of goals scored in the World Finals (9 against 8), After the flea scored a goal in Argentina's 2-1 victory over Australia on Saturday, to lead them to the quarter-finals.
If Ronaldo is absent, Portugal has several options with Rafael Leao and Joao Felix, who each scored a goal in the group stage, in addition to Fernandez and Bernardo Silva.
First qualification since 1954?
-But Portugal is definitely aware of the competitor that awaits them.
On the other hand, Switzerland, the "big hunter", caused the biggest surprises in the European Cup last summer, when it eliminated world champions France from the final price on penalties, after it came back from a 3-1 deficit in normal time to score two in the last ten minutes and impose two additional halves.
Goalkeeper Jan Sommer was the hero of the match by saving the last kick from Kylian Mbappe, and “La Natty” almost continued its surprises when it also imposed a penalty shootout on Spain in the quarter-finals, but this time luck did not smile at it.
She confirmed that what she achieved in the European Cup was not a coincidence, as she topped her group in the World Cup qualifiers against European champions Italy, who failed to qualify via the play-off later to the World Finals for the second time in a row.
And with the World Cup in Qatar reaching its elimination rounds, Switzerland will be in dire need of Sumer, who missed the decisive 3-2 victory over Serbia in the last round in the group stage due to illness, after participating mainly against Brazil and Cameroon.
Armed with all these results and surprises in the last two years, in addition to an attack line led by Brill Empolo, who scored two goals in Qatar, and prominent players such as Granit Xhaka and Gerdan Shaqiri, Switzerland aspires, led by its coach of Turkish origin, Murat Yakin, to reach the quarter-finals for the fourth time in its history and the first since 1954 on its soil.
This will be the first ever confrontation between the two teams in the World Cup finals and the third between them this year, after the group stage in the European Nations League when Portugal won the first leg 4-0 in Lisbon and lost the second leg 1-0 in Geneva.
As for the only match in a major tournament (World Cup or Euro), in the group stage of the European Cup 2008, it was the share of “La Natty” 2-0.
Although Switzerland is no longer up for grabs in recent years, the team, which is still looking for a first major title in its history, hopes to be a dark horse again and set up a date with Spain or Morocco in the quarter-finals.
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