Croatia vs Morocco Match Analysis & Prediction
17/12/2022 6:00 pm
The bronze medal in the 2022 World Cup will be at stake Saturday in a third-place playoff between Croatia and Morocco at Khalifa International Stadium. Neither side should turn its nose up at a podium finish on the grandest stage.
In its semifinal match, Zlatko Dalic’s team was comfortably beaten 3-0 by Argentina, while the Atlas Lions fought valiantly against France but were defeated 2-0.
Very few players have been able to get the better of RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol in a one-on-one situation, but Lionel Messi was one of them.
Messi opened the scoring for Argentina against Croatia from the penalty spot before Julian Alvarez’s solo run brought La Albiceleste their second goal.
There was nothing fortunate about Argentina’s third, as Messi rolled back the years on the right-hand side before picking out Alvarez to tap home Argentina’s third and deny Croatia a second successive appearance at a World Cup final against France, no less.
Morocco gave France a scare in their semi-final clash, but the Atlas Lions were ultimately unable to overcome the lack of killer instinct in the final third that prevented them from cementing themselves into footballing folklore as the first
African team to make it to a World Cup final. Walid Regragui’s side certainly showed that Moroccan football is on the rise and will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.
However, Morocco’s efforts were not helped by three early injuries that saw Noussair Mazraoui, Romain Saiss, and Nayef Aguerd withdrawn before half-time.
Croatia vs. Morocco Head to head
Both sides have one game against each other that ended in a draw.
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13/12/2022Croatia0Morocco0World Cup
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17/12/2022N/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
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17/12/2022N/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
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17/12/2022N/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
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17/12/2022N/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
Croatia Team News
Injured midfielder Marcelo Brozovic is a major doubt for Croatia’s third-place playoff after withdrawing from the semi-final against Argentina due to discomfort.
Defender Gvardiol played through pain in midweek, but coach Zlatko Dalic insists he will not risk anyone who is not 100% fit. If Brozovic cannot play, Lovro Majer and Kristijan Jakic could be options to replace him if needed.
Croatia's Last 5 Matches
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13/12/2022Argentina3Croatia0World Cup
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09/12/2022Croatia1Brazil1World Cup
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05/12/2022Japan1Croatia1World Cup
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01/12/2022Croatia0Belgium0World Cup
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27/11/2022Croatia4Canada1World Cup
Morocco Team News
Morocco was dealt several injuries during its match against France, with Karim Ait Fana, Hamza Mendyl, and Mbark Boussoufa all being taken off. Regragui did not have to call on any reserves, but one of his regular starters – Ait Fana – was forced out before the match began.
Morocco 's Last 5 Matches
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14/12/2022France2Morocco0World Cup
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10/12/2022Morocco1Portugal0World Cup
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06/12/2022Morocco0Spain0World Cup
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01/12/2022Canada1Morocco2World Cup
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27/11/2022Belgium0Morocco2World Cup
Croatia vs. Morocco : Odds and Predictions
Main Prediction
3 Way: Home
Best Odds
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