At the end of an eventful night of football in Russia, Spain’s last-minute 2-2 draw with Morocco has secured them the top spot in group B, following a contemporaneous 1-1 draw between the Iberian rivals Portugal, and a surprisingly strong Iran side.
The Spanish favourites got off to a rough start, as Moroccan striker Khalid Boutaib benefited from Sergio Ramos’ horrendous error before calmly slotting the ball between David de Gea’s legs in the 14th minute.
5 Best – Khalid Boutaib
Khalid Boutaib was one of many Moroccans to exceed expectations in a memorable night for the North Africans. The Malatyaspor forward was a constant thorn in Sergio Ramos’ and Gerard Pique’s eyes and capped off a fantastic performance with his first-ever World Cup goal.
After showing great anticipation before capitalising on Sergio Ramos’ mistake to open up the scoring, the striker could have had a second, after a quick throw-in caught the Spanish defence off-guard.
4 Worst – Diego Costa
After a formidable start to the tournament, Diego Costa’s campaign hit a roadblock last night, as he was physically matched by Morocco’s central defence pairing of Romain Saiss, and Manuel da Costa.
While the Moroccan defenders, particularly Wolverhampton Wanderers centre-back Saiss, may have performed at the peak of their abilities, it was still a disappointing display by the Spanish hitman, who couldn’t find an answer to his opponent’s gameplan.
3 Best – Isco
Isco’s performance was one of the few positives for Spain to take from a game, in which many players under-performed. The Spanish magician has been consistent throughout the campaign and has established himself as one of the early contenders for the Golden Ball.
With Iniesta most likely playing his last tournament for La Furia Roja, Spaniards can rest assured that the team is in safe hands with Isco taking more responsibility in this World Cup.
2 Worst – Sergio Ramos
Normally a name synonymous with ‘consistency’, Sergio Ramos was the worst player on the pitch last night. While it could be argued, that it’s his own fault for setting the standards of his play so high, his performance was the lowlight of the evening.
Ramos’ uncharacteristic lack of concentration presented Moroccan forward Khalid Boutaib the 1-0 on a silver platter, and the Spanish captain never seemed to recover from his mistake in a dismal showing in Kaliningrad.
1 Best – Nordin Amrabat
What a performance from the most unlikely of sources. Nordin Amrabat embodied the spirit and fight that almost carried Morocco to victory over one of the tournament favourites.
The Moroccan winger didn’t only lock down Jordi Alba, but constantly piled on the pressure against a Spanish team that dominated in possession. He was also one of the rare outlets to provide his defence with some attacking relief.