World Cup 2018: Iago Aspas flicks Spain top of Group B with a little help from VAR in Morocco draw

The table says that Spain topped Group B but they did so as if in a trance, as if they had still not recovered from the departure of their manager, Julen Lopetegui days before they began the tournament.

The combination of two penalties, one scored, one missed, 1200 miles away in Saransk, and Iago Aspas goal, first disallowed and then awarded by VAR, meant Spain will play Russia in Moscow. The hosts, in their own capital, are entitled to fancy their chances.

When Youssef En Nesyri climbed above Sergio Ramos to thunder home Faycal Fajr’s corner, it appeared the least Morocco deserved. Then, in stoppage time, Aspas flicked home. Ravshan Irmatov ruled it offside, VAR showed the Real Madrid forward was marginally onside.

The Moroccan bench and players exploded with frustration. During the narrow 1-0 defeat to Portugal, VAR had not been employed to show Pepe handling in the area. Now, it had denied them an epic victory. Had VAR been used to dissect Gerard Pique’s studs-up challenge on Khalid Boutaib, it might have led to Spain spending most of the evening with 10 men.

Asked how, as the manager of an already-eliminated team, he would approach this game, the Morocco manager, Herve Renard remarked that, as his team were called The Atlas Lions that is how they would play. It may have been a cry of farewell but they roared.

They were desperately unfortunate not have scored more. Midway through the first half. Noureddine Amrabat, who has a surname like a Latin verb, took deliberate aim and crashed his shot against David De Gea’s crossbar that shook long after impact.

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Defensively, Spain appeared fragile and, in attack, only Andres Iniesta and Isco made an impact. Isco might have had a second had Ghanem Saiss not flicked his header wide as the game revved up for its climax.

Renard began by dropping his captain, Mehdi Benatia, possibly because he had made some critical comments about Mustapha Hadji, Renard’s assistant, after the defeat by Portugal that had knocked them out.

Within 14 minutes they had scored their first goal of the World Cup and the nerves would begin to dance in Fernando Hierro’s mind. More Moroccan supporters than Spanish had made the journey to Russia’s Baltic enclave, swept by rain and wind, and when the electronic scoreboard demonstrated how VAR worked, they jeered.

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The game was less than a quarter of an hour old when they began celebrating wildly. Both Ramos and Iniesta hesitated fatally, neither properly controlled the ball and Boutaib was clear on goal, driving forward with long, graceful strides.

Had this been a regulation game at Old Trafford, you would have backed David De Gea but the De Gea who plays for Spain is not the same man who has been repeatedly voted Manchester United’s player of the season. Boutaib, who like the majority of this Moroccan side was not born in the country he represents, calmly slid the ball between the goalkeeper’s legs.

Later in the first half, Boutaib was once more one-on-one with De Gea and once more Spain appeared impossibly dozy with neither Ramos nor Pique – men who have won multiple European Cups – failing to realise Boutaib was going to run on to a throw in. This time he delayed his shot slightly too long, De Gea saved and Spain escaped.

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In between, they had equalised. There has been an awful lot written about how this will be Lionel Messi’s last World Cup but it will be Iniesta’s too. The way he slalomed past Manuel Da Costa and flicked the ball back into Isco’s path showed precisely what will be gone when he takes his leave.

Spain (4-2-3-1) De Gea; Carvajal, Pique, Ramos, Alba; Busquets, Thiago (Asensio 74); Silva (Rodrigo 85), Iniesta, Isco; Costa (Aspas 74).

Morocco (4-2-3-1) El Kajoui; Dirar, Da Costa, Saiss, Hakimi; El Ahmadi, Boussoufa; Amrabat, Belhanda (Fajir 64), Ziyach; Boutaib (En Nesiri 71).

Referee Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan)

Attendance 33,973