Brazil hit three but Raphinha scare Saibari lifts Morocco: Scotland
During the night, the two Group C matches were played, the group featuring Brazil, Morocco, Scotland and Haiti.
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Let’s take a look at how the two matches went and the current standings.
📌 SCOTLAND – MOROCCO
Morocco took a major step toward qualification for the round of 16 by beating Scotland 1-0 and moving up to four points in the group. Saibari, already on target against Brazil, decided the match once again, scoring after just 72 seconds thanks to a brilliant piece of invention from Brahim Diaz.
After the goal, Morocco took control of the game, going close several times to doubling their lead through Hakimi’s bursts forward and the quality of their most talented players. Scotland tried to stay in the match and also appealed for two dubious incidents in the box, but struggled enormously to create danger. Clarke’s men never managed to hit the target and suffered a defeat that complicates their path to qualification.
⚽ Saibari in 72 seconds, but Brahim Diaz’s play was GENIUS
As mentioned, Morocco needed just 72 seconds to break the deadlock and take all three points. Brahim Diaz received the ball on the right, looked up and delivered a wonderful ball in behind the Scottish defence. Saibari read it all early, timed his run to the edge of offside and, after leaving Hanley behind, controlled the bounce before unleashing a thunderous right-footed strike past Gunn to make it 1-0.
The move was the perfect snapshot of Morocco’s superiority and the talent of the Brahim-Saibari duo. The former lit up the game between the lines with quality and vision, while the latter confirmed his extraordinary form: after scoring against Brazil, he also found the net against Scotland, adding a crossbar in the second half. Two outstanding performances – in front of Pep Guardiola in the stands – that dragged the Atlas Lions to a hugely important win in the race for qualification.
⚠️ Two penalty appeals, furious Scotland
Scotland went down 1-0 and now see their qualification hopes become significantly more complicated. After Saibari’s lightning-fast goal, Clarke’s men tried to respond, especially in the second half, but spent a long time protesting over two controversial incidents in the Moroccan area.
First McGinn and then McTominay appealed for a penalty for alleged illegal contact, but neither the referee nor VAR intervened. The incident that caused the biggest uproar came in the second half and involved the Scotland captain, who burst into the box and went to ground after contact with El Aynaoui, immediately appealing for a spot-kick. The protests were fierce, but the referee waved play on and there was no recommendation from VAR for a review.
Those two decisions fuelled the Scots’ anger, convinced they had been hard done by at key moments in the match. In the end, though, the defeat remains: Scotland will have to play for everything in their final match against Brazil.
🔊 Hakimi targeted by boos
Achraf Hakimi was booed throughout the entire match by the fans in the stands. The Morocco captain came under the spotlight after the French justice system ordered him to stand trial on rape charges, accusations always denied by the PSG player. Despite the hostile atmosphere, Hakimi delivered a high-level performance and was one of the key figures in the 1-0 win over Scotland.
😅 What a BATTLE for El Aynaoui
Neil El Aynaoui had a decidedly eventful match against Scotland. In the first half, the Moroccan midfielder took a nasty blow to the knee from McTominay, was left bleeding and kept playing with a handkerchief clenched between his teeth.
As if that were not enough, in the second half during a corner he literally had his shirt ripped off by an opponent. Between heavy challenges, blood and a torn shirt, El Aynaoui still gritted his teeth until the end and contributed to Morocco’s valuable win.
📌 BRAZIL – HAITI
Brazil got back to winning ways and crushed Haiti 3-0, securing their first World Cup win and moving to the top of Group C. Ancelotti’s move proved decisive: out went Igor Thiago, in came Matheus Cunha, who repaid the faith with a brilliant brace and stole the show in Philadelphia.
The breakthrough came in the 23rd minute, when Cunha was quickest to react to the rebound after a Vinicius effort. Shortly before half-time, the new Brazil centre-forward also scored the second with a brilliant left-footed shot under the bar from a tight angle. Then, in first-half stoppage time, Vinicius Jr added the third, set up by a superb assist from Paquetà.
In the second half, Brazil managed their lead without any problems, also giving Endrick some minutes on his World Cup debut. The only negative note for Ancelotti was Raphinha’s muscle injury, which forced him off before the break. For Haiti, meanwhile, it was a second straight defeat and mathematical elimination from the tournament.
⭐ Cunha the STAR of the night: a match-winning brace
Cunha took centre stage for Brazil with a dream night. The turning point came in the 23rd minute, when Vinicius Jr tested the Haitian goalkeeper and the striker was quickest of all to pounce on the rebound, tapping the ball into the net from close range for Brazil’s 1-0 lead.
Ancelotti’s new first-choice centre-forward struck again in the 36th minute with a play of the highest quality: receiving the ball on the right side of the box, Cunha unleashed a powerful left-footed shot while almost off balance and smashed the ball under the bar at the near post. A spectacular goal that sealed his brace and definitively put the match on course.
🔥 Vini SHINES again: another stunning performance
After his beautiful goal against Morocco, Vinicius Junior scored again, and not only that.
It was from his saved shot, in fact, that Matheus Cunha’s opener was created, with the striker reacting sharply to bundle home from close range. Shortly after, Brazil’s number 7 made his mark again with a perfect pass that sent Cunha through for the temporary 2-0.
The reward for a dominant display came in first-half stoppage time. Paquetà produced a brilliant through ball, Vinicius attacked the space and stayed calm in front of Placide, slotting home the 3-0 with a precise low diagonal finish. One goal and two decisive plays for the Real Madrid superstar, increasingly the attacking leader of Ancelotti’s Seleção.
🚑 Raphinha worry: World Cup over? Neymar returns: Ancelotti announces it 🔙
For one protagonist found – Cunha – Ancelotti risks losing one of his undisputed stars for the rest of the World Cup: Raphinha.
The Barcelona winger was forced off in the 40th minute of the first half after suffering a physical problem that appears to involve his hamstring. In the coming hours, the Brazilian will undergo tests to assess the extent of the injury.
Carlo Ancelotti, however, can take comfort from some good news ahead of the final group match against Scotland. In his press conference, the coach confirmed Neymar’s return, with the number 10 having so far been sidelined by a calf problem. He is now ready to come back and boost the Seleção’s attacking potential at the decisive moment of the World Cup.
🧮 Everything still open in Group C
As expected, Brazil, Morocco and Scotland will battle it out for the two available spots in the round of 32 on the final matchday of the group. The verdicts will come on the night of 25 June, when the three favourites take the field to complete the race for qualification.
The other verdict, however, is already final: with the defeat against Brazil, Haiti suffered their second loss in two matches and became the first team mathematically eliminated from Group C.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.
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