Daily Times

KALININGRAD: Substitute Iago Aspas struck in stoppage-time to earn Spain a dramatic 2-2 draw with Morocco on Monday which gave them top spot in World Cup Group B and a place in the last 16. With Morocco heading towards their first win of the tournament, Aspas cleverly back-heeled the ball into the net to cancel out Youssef En-Nesyri’s towering 81st-minute header for Morocco. The Spanish equaliser was originally ruled out for offside but awarded after a lengthy review by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) amid chaotic scenes on the pitch. Spain took top spot from Portugal on goals scored after the European champions were held to a 1-1 draw by Iran who equalised in stoppage-time with a penalty also given after consultation with the VAR.

Spain will play Russia in the last 16. The game was scrappy, Morocco picking up six yellow cards, and Spain lurched from indifferent to inspired throughout. The first team eliminated from the World Cup following two 1-0 losses, Morocco started with intensity and Khalid Boutaid put them ahead in the 14th minute. Snatching the ball from Sergio Ramos in midfield Boutaid ran through alone and coolly slotted home between the legs of David de Gea for Morocco’s first goal of the World Cup and their first at the global showpiece tournament for 20 years.

Chill evening: It was a grey, rainy Baltic evening at Kaliningrad Stadium but the chill could not dampen the spirit of a fired-up pro-Moroccan crowd who celebrated the goal as if their team had just won the World Cup. The goal shocked Spain into action and Isco equalised for the 2010 world champions five minutes later, taking Andres Iniesta’s pass and crashing it into the roof of the net.

Spain nearly grabbed a second before halftime when Iniesta fired a low pass across the goalmouth that a sliding Diego Costa just failed to connect with. Morocco returned with renewed purpose and Nordin Amrabat nearly gave the North Africans the lead in the 56th minute when his thunderbolt 25-yard shot clanged off the woodwork. It was Spain’s turn to go close when defender Romain Saiss cleared Isco’s header off the line but Morocco struck a telling blow when En-Nesyri rose high to head home a corner. Spain finally began to play with urgency but were frustrated until Aspas struck and his goal was only given after a long wait for VAR confirmation that he had not strayed offside.

Published in Daily Times, June 27^th 2018.