An encore for Ronaldo? | The Daily Star
12:00 AM, June 20, 2018 / LAST MODIFIED: 12:00 AM, June 20, 2018

An encore for Ronaldo?

European champions Portugal take on 'battle-hardened' Morocco

The entire Morocco team's focus will be on stopping the red-hot Cristiano Ronaldo (bellow), fresh off a hattrick against Spain, when the two sides meet in their World Cup Group B encounter today at 6:00pm BST. PHOTOS: REUTERS/ COLLECTED

"Don't talk to me about Cristiano. I'm not going to speak to him again after what he did the other day." 

Spain player and Ronaldo's Real Madrid teammate, Isco

 

Cristiano Ronaldo will attempt to follow up his World Cup opening game heroics for Portugal against a Morocco side licking their wounds after a crushing last-gasp defeat.

A hattrick from the five-time world player of the year snatched a thrilling 3-3 draw for the European champions against Spain in a heavyweight Group B showdown in Sochi.

It was Ronaldo's 51st career hattrick, and the 51st in the tournament's history, as the Real Madrid star became just the fourth player to score in four World Cups.

"I am very happy, it's a nice personal record to have, one more in my career," said Ronaldo. "For me the most important thing is to emphasise what the team did against one of the favourites to win this World Cup."

Despite lifting the trophy at Euro 2016, Portugal are not viewed as among the favourites in Russia but can take a big step towards the last 16 with victory over Morocco in Moscow on Wednesday.

"I think we are stronger than Morocco if we compare the two teams, but I'm not saying the game will be easy for us," striker Andre Silva told reporters at Portugal's training base. "We cannot underestimate them and must have respect for any opponent. Any game at the World Cup is difficult."

It will be just the second meeting between the two countries, after Morocco beat Portugal 3-1 in the group stage at the 1986 finals.

Morocco did not concede a single goal in the final qualifying round as they sealed a return to the World Cup for the first time in 20 years, but their knockout hopes hang by a thread after a 95th-minute own goal by Aziz Bouhaddouz against Iran.

Herve Renard's men face a monumental challenge, with games to come against Portugal and Spain, but midfielder Faycal Fajr is adamant all is not lost.

"If I said that we don't believe we can qualify it would be a lie," said Fajr, one of 17 players born abroad in Morocco's 23-man squad. "I could throw out some examples, like the Argentina draw. Where there's a will there's a way. [The Portuguese] have two feet, two legs and they are humans like us."

“We lost a battle but we haven't lost the war. We're not dead," he added.


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