El Aynaoui steers Morocco past Netherlands on penalties; Malen unused on bench
Match Report·30 June 2026·9d ago

El Aynaoui steers Morocco past Netherlands on penalties; Malen unused on bench

Source: Roma News

Morocco eliminated the Netherlands on penalties to reach the World Cup knockout stages after a 1–1 draw. Neil El Aynaoui, the Roma midfielder, started for Morocco and took a penalty in the shootout, which he missed. Donyell Malen, Roma's forward, remained on the bench throughout and did not feature as Netherlands coach Koeman opted not to deploy him even in extra time. The Netherlands failed three penalties through Kluivert, Timber, and Summerville, while Morocco's only misses came from El Aynaoui and Hakimi. Saibari's successful penalty proved decisive in securing Morocco's last-16 spot.

El Aynaoui has been a cornerstone of Morocco's World Cup campaign, playing every minute so far and taking responsibility from the spot despite the miss. Malen's exclusion marks a quieter tournament for the forward, who will now prepare for Roma's pre-season. Gasperini will expect Malen's return for the start of summer training on 13 July at Trigoria.

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Testo Originale / Source Text

Non sono bastati i tempi regolamentari e nemmeno quelli supplementari. Dopo aver chiuso sul risultato di 1-1, la sfida tra Olanda e Marocco si è decisa ai calci di rigore. Dagli undici metri, i Leoni dell’Atlante hanno battuto gli Oranje, staccando il pass per gli ottavi. Un match che ha incrociato…

Read the full article in Italian at Roma News.

Read original on Roma News

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