Highlights | FIFA World Cup, Belgium vs Morocco day 8: Morocco wins the match with a 2-0 lead

Absolutely incredible. Morocco finishes the match with a 2-0 lead. Morocco was organised, physically fit, and savvy from set pieces, while Ziyech and Boufal put a little stardust on top. Wonderful.
 

Morocco have their first goal of the 2022 World Cup. 
Amazing. Will Belgium qualify for the knock-out stages? We are into last 5 minutes now!
 

Outside of the left top corner of the box, the attacker gathers the ball and attempts to finesse a shot past Courtois, narrowly missing the right post.

Morocco is closing in on their rivals. They are posing a greater and greater threat to the Belgian defence.

Morocco seized the lead, but VAR declared the goal to be offside. Very tense game with no team looking to secure win as of now.
 

The Moroccan crowd are whistling loudly as the Belgian players take their time making safe, close passes to one another.

Inside the stadium, it is beginning to grow dark. The floodlights are currently on.

When Kevin De Bruyne possesses the ball, the whistling increases slightly. Perhaps the Moroccan supporters are aware of the Manchester City wizard's lethal ball skills.
 

No ball has been kicked, the stadium is already humming. Belgian supporters are out there, but it is nearly difficult to spot them. Endless cheers from Atlas Lions supporters.

Can they maintain this throughout the entire game? We'll see!!
 

The second match on day 8 of the FIFA World Cup 2022 will be played between Belgium and Morocco in Group F at the Al Thumama Stadium. The match will start at 18:30 PM IST and 16:00 PM local time.
 

Japan's defensive focus lapse led to the goal.

Fuller's shot was well-placed and poised, but Gonda may have made a better stop.

Japan has chosen Minamino to replace Soma.
 

It was a terrible first half. Neither goalkeeper had much of a challenge.
After a somewhat dull first half, there is no goals in the score at the intermission. Neither side has been able to forge any obvious opportunities. Clearly, things can only go better from here.
 

Only one goal-scoring attempt has been made by each squad. The five-man Costa Rican defence is successfully stopping Japan's offensive.

The happiest side thus far will be Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is juggling the ball and preventing Japan from occupying advantageous positions. They appear to have made progress thus far from their performance against Spain.

As Gonda claims in goal for Japan, Borges works on a long ball but is unable to find a teammate.

Japan and Costa Rica have faced off four times before this matchup, with three victories going to the Asian team and one game ending in a draw. In their most recent meeting in September 2018, Japan triumphed 3-0. But this encounter marks the first time the two teams have faced off in a significant competition.
 

Japan and Costa Rica have met five times across all competitions in the past, where Japan won three times scoring as many goals in total against their South American opponents.

It is quite challenging to choose anyone other than Japan as the possible winner of this match after their outstanding performance against Germany on Wednesday. Costa Rica should play better after losing to Spain, but we definitely anticipate Japan to win the match for the second time in a row with a 2-0 score.

Japan vs Costa Rica predicted lineups

Japan XI (4-2-3-1): Gonda; Tomiyasu, Itakura, Yoshida, Nagatomo; Endo, Tanaka; Ito, Kamada, Kubo; Asano

Costa Rica XI (4-2-2-2): Navas; Waston, Calvo, Duarte, Oviedo; Tejeda, Borges; Bennette, Fuller; Campbell, Contreras

Thought of by many as the favourites for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Japan more than lived up to pre-tournament expectations, coming back from a goal down to stun four-time champions Germany and score one of the most iconic victories in their country's football history.

Samurai Blue presently has a number of players competing well throughout Europe. On paper, the squad possesses the best technical abilities, speed, improved physicality, and tactical awareness of any time.