Belgium, Morocco locked in scoreless tie after one half
Published
Belgium and Morocco played to a scoreless tie in the opening half of their contest, despite an overwhelming number of opportunities for Belgium to open the game.
Hakim Ziyech, the star of the Moroccan side, got a free kick opportunity in stoppage time from just outside the penalty area which beat Thibaut Courtois, but was disallowed after VAR review determined there was an offside against Morocco.
In a surprise announcement moments before kickoff, Morocco's expected netminder Yassine Bounou, who started their match against Croatia, was declared out and Munir Mohamedi got the start at the keeper spot.
The contest lost all it's pace in the late minutes of the first half, as stoppages due to fouls - 15 overall in the first 45 minutes - kept both sides from mounting an attack.
Kevin De Bruyne found Thomas Meunier wide open on the right side of the Moroccan crease, but again the Belgian attack was unable to get a strong foot on the ball and it led to an easy save for Moroccan keeper Mohamedi.
After a blistering opening 15 minutes, the pace slowed as the teams settled in, with the Moroccan defence tightening significantly compared to the opening.
Amadou Onana of Belgium received a yellow card in the 28th minute, which was his second of the tournament, meaning he will miss Belgium's next game, against Croatia.
Morocco took their first attempt on net, when Ziyech tried from distance in the 20th minute, but sent it just over the crossbar. Belgium controlled possession for just under 70 per cent of the first 20 minutes.
De Bruyne tried to work his signature magic in the 18th minute, as he did set up Thorgan Hazard with a clean shot on net, but Hazard could not get enough on it to fool the Mohamedi.
The Red Devils took their fourth corner kick by the 16th minute of action, but a good header was hard to find early.
Belgium opened the contest with a heated offensive effort, generating two scoring chances in the first 10 minutes that were both kicked just wide.