Late own goal hands Iran all three points against Morocco

Morocco started the game on the front foot, flying forward in a series of dangerous attacks. Nordin Amrabat, who played more like a winger than a right-back, was fantastic down the flank, creating multiple chances.

 

June 15, 2018

Herve Renard's side dominated for the first fifteen minutes, however Iran grew into the game, and had their own dangerous spell towards the end of the first half.

Morocco goalkeeper Munir Mohand Mohamedi was forced to make two great stops just before half-time to prevent Iran from scoring, after Alireza Jahanbakhsh fed Sardar Azmoun through with a lovely ball. Azmoun was kept out twice by Munir, although the Iranian should probably have done more with the opportunity.

The sides went in at half-time on equal footing, a score that was a fair representation of a half of football that was fairly end-to-end. The second half, however, was not quite as exciting. There were chances here and there, but in general the play was quite scrappy. 

The closer it got towards the end of the game, the more content Iran seemed with a 0-0 draw, and they began to defend resiliently, tackling with a lot of physicality. Amrabat was on the receiving end of this physicality, and was forced to leave the pitch in the 73rd minute after suffering a concussion from an Ehsan Haji Safi body-check.

The referee added six minutes of additional time on at the end of the game, as a result of injuries to both Amrabat and later Jahanbakhsh, and all signs pointed to the game ending in the first draw of the tournament. 

Fortune smiled on Iran, however, after they won a free-kick down the left wing in the 94th minute. Haji Safi was the man to cross it in, and he whipped a delivery into the box. At the front post was Moroccan substitute Aziz Bouhaddouz who, under no pressure, panicked and headed it past his own goalkeeper into the net.

 

June 15, 2018

With just over a minute left to play, there was no chance for redemption for the Atlas Lions, and the game ended in a huge win for Iran, who move to the top of Group B ahead of the tie between Portugal and Spain.

Morocco now face a tricky task if they are to make it out of the group, and will have to pick up results in their remaining two group games.