WORLD CUP – Bounou the hero as Morocco survive Netherlands scare, winning 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw to power past a huge round-of-32 obstacle at Estadio Monterrey.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Yassine Bounou was the hero for Morocco as they defeated the Netherlands 3-2 on penalties in the World Cup round of 32, after the tie finished 1-1 following extra time.
The Morocco goalkeeper saved Crysencio Summerville’s penalty before Ismael Saibari scored the decisive spot-kick to seal a last-16 clash with co-hosts Canada.
That all came after Issa Diop scored a 91st-minute equalizer to cancel out Cody Gakpo’s opener for the Netherlands, who have now been knocked out on penalties at back-to-back World Cups.
It was the goalkeepers who stood out in the first half, with Bart Verbruggen making a fantastic reflex save to deny Neil El Aynaoui’s flick-on from a corner.
The Dutch shot-stopper was on hand again to tip Achraf Hakimi’s long shot over the bar, while Bounou did the same at the other end to keep out a fierce strike from Micky van de Ven.
Morocco were on top after the break; Hakimi crashed an effort against the crossbar in the 52nd minute before Van de Ven denied the Atlas Lions captain with a last-ditch block. However, it was a Dutch substitute who changed the game.
Wout Weghorst came on in the 71st minute and made an immediate impact, as his header from a long ball sent Summerville through on goal. The winger then squared to Gakpo for a simple finish.
Morocco refused to give up and found an equalizer in stoppage time, as Chemsdine Talbi’s in-swinging cross was glanced past Verbruggen by Diop, who managed to get between Virgil van Dijk and Teun Koopmeiners.
There was only one shot in extra time, but it was perhaps the biggest chance of the match, as Soufiane Rahimi dribbled through on goal before Verbruggen pulled off a stunning save to send the tie to a shootout.
Koopmeiners started the drama with a well-taken spot kick, before El Aynaoui and Justin Kluivert both hit the woodwork for their respective sides.
Quinten Timber and Hakimi were then the next to miss, with the Dutch midfielder firing wide before the Paris Saint-Germain star hit the left post. However, Bounou’s clever save against Summerville allowed Saibari to score the winning penalty.
The Atlas Lions roar again
Morocco were deserving winners and perhaps should have sealed victory even before extra time, but Mohamed Ouahbi will be relieved to see his side get over the line in the end.
They produced 1.4 expected goals (xG) from their 11 shots, five of which were Opta-defined ‘big chances’, as Hakimi proved to be a constant threat.
Morocco have now won both of their World Cup penalty shootouts, also defeating Spain in the 2022 round of 16, and they will no doubt fancy themselves against Canada in the next round.
The Netherlands, meanwhile, started a match with a back five for just the first time since March 2024 (a 2-1 defeat against Germany), having played their 31 matches in between with four defenders.
The Oranje clearly struggled to find any rhythm, registering just six shots worth 0.23 expected goals (xG) across the 120 minutes, but the ever-reliable Gakpo got them in front.
Only Dennis Bergkamp (10) has scored more goals for the Netherlands at major tournaments (Euros or World Cup) than Gakpo (nine), while only Johnny Rep (seven) can better Gakpo’s six goals at the World Cup.
Verbruggen did his best to secure victory, making five saves and coming incredibly close to keeping Rahimi’s penalty out, but it was not to be for the Netherlands on this occasion.
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