Portugal 6, Switzerland 1: Ramos’ show puts the Portuguese in the quarter-finals

Portugal completed a convincing choral performance, sometimes brilliant, against Switzerland on Tuesday to progress to the quarter-finals of Qatar 2022, in which they will meet surprise Morocco and present themselves as a candidate for all after a clash that saw Gonçalo Ramos, author of a hat-trick on the day he took the place of Cristiano Ronaldo’s eleven.

He did not need the presence of his great captain, great star and reference. When he entered the field, the score already reflected the 5-1 bathroom score that Portugal had given to Switzerland. Although he has tried as long as possible, he will have to wait to score in a World Cup qualifier.

Fernando Santos was a complete surprise. A nightmare for Switzerland, Cristiano Ronaldo remained on the bench, as did two other undisputed players, full-back Joao Cancelo and midfielder Rúben Neves, although the other starters who rotated against South Korea returned.

The Portuguese coach assured that it was not a punishment for the ‘7’ gesture in the match against South Korea, but rather a tactical matter. The fact is that the last time the Madeira striker was substituted in a major competition dates back to the third match of Euro 2008. Oddly enough, the rival was also Switzerland, who also won 2-0.

This time the opposite happened: the team of the ‘quinas’ got rid of the Swiss team, with which they had lost this year in the League of Nations, and ended the bad streak of recent times in the round of 16. final to reach the quarter-finals for the third time, after 1966 and 2006.

The Portuguese fans who came to the Lusail stadium celebrated Spain’s elimination on penalties against Morocco during the preliminary rounds. Then he discovered that Cristiano was not in the game. He eventually claimed it and celebrated when he came out, as Portugal did throughout the match with a memorable performance.

With Joao Felix more than inspired, on a superlative level, Bernardo Silva in masterplan, Bruno Fernandes unbalanced and assistant, William Carvalho sober and confident, Otavio very active, Portugal taught a lesson to a Switzerland that only suffered at certain moments, very little , but which was easy prey for a much superior rival.

Everything went well for Fernando Santos. Criticized on numerous occasions for thinking he was not taking advantage of all the great attacking footballers available to him due to tactical precautions, he hit the key this time. His team played a wonderful, high-flying game.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s substitute, Benfiquista Gonçalo Ramos, returned confidence. And how. He put the game ahead almost from the start with a great shot with almost no angle that surprised Yann Sommer (m.17), added the finishing touch at the start of the second half (m.51) and closed the hat-trick with a subtle touch over the rival goalkeeper (m.67).

Even Pepe, whose coach was waiting to include him in the list after the injury he suffered before the World Cup, put an already important distance on the exit from a corner kick (m.33) to become the oldest to score in a KO match in tournament history.

The score at halftime could have been even bigger. The Swiss midfield and defense were helpless against the high school combinations of Bernardo Silva, Otavio, Bruno and Joao Felix.

But Portugal didn’t have to wait long. Just after the crowd at the Lusail Stadium applauded wildly as Cristiano Ronaldo went outside to warm up, Goncalo Ramos added the score with a shot from a clean ‘9’ after a run from Dalot, and almost immediately in the middle of the festival , Raphael Guerreiro He confirmed his skills as a great attacking left back with the fourth.

Murat Yakin and his men had only to bid a dignified farewell to the match and stop the bleeding. Goal half achieved thanks to a hit by central defender Manuel Akanji after a corner kick.

Still, Gonçalo Ramos concluded his glorious evening in Lusail, giving way to an insignificant final piece that only made the audience celebrate seeing Cristiano Ronaldo evolve on the field where the title fight will take place, in which Rafa Leao wrote the final chapter with a brilliant goal.

Portugal appears in the quarter-finals as an alternative to the big favourites. He’s got a team of real carats when his unbalanced men find inspiration, and it looks like they’re moving on. Fernando Santos’ team enjoyed and let them enjoy. It crushed a Switzerland much more permeable than it usually is.