| Morocco vs Croatia |
|---|
| SCHEDULE | TIME |
|---|---|
| GAME | Morocco vs Croatia |
| DATE | 22/11/2022 |
| TIME | 03:30 PM (Indian Standard Time) |
| ARENA | Al Bayt Stadium |
| LEAGUE | FIFA World Cup 2022 |
| FULL TIME |
|---|
| Morocco [0-0] Croatia |
Match Preview of Morocco vs Croatia
Morocco and Croatia get their 2022 World Cup campaigns underway when they meet in a Group F fixture on Wednesday.
Les Bleus went all the way in Russia four years ago, while the Socceroos are aiming to end a run of three successive group-stage exits.
The meeting at the Al Bayt Stadium starts the daily schedule with group rivals Belgium and Canada squaring off nine hours later.
Since the turn of the millennium, Morocco have failed to qualify for the World Cup on four of their five attempts, their only appearance coming in Russia in 2018.
Since that early exit, Morocco have under-performed at the Africa Cup of Nations, posting last 16 and quarter-final finishes, but they head into this competition on a five-match unbeaten streak.
Victories have been posted against the likes of South Africa, Chile and Georgia, while they also collected a goalless draw against Paraguay in September.
With the nation now ranked 22nd in the FIFA World Rankings, head coach Walid Regragui will be delighted with the trajectory of his team, feeling that Belgium and Croatia should not necessarily expect to qualify for the knockout stages.
In the case of the latter, they are playing their first World Cup fixture since losing in the final four years ago, going down by a 4-2 scoreline to France.
A combination of a fortunate draw and over-achievement contributed to that run, and there are signs that Croatia are getting back to their best after losing in the last 16 at Euro 2020.
A combination of a fortunate draw and over-achievement contributed to that run, and there are signs that Croatia are getting back to their best after losing in the last 16 at Euro 2020.
Zlatko Dalic's side recently won four successive UEFA Nations League fixtures, a run which included an away victory over France, to top a group which also included Denmark and Austria.
Our Predicted Lineups
Morocco possible starting lineup:Bono; Hakimi, Saiss, Aguerd, Mazraoui; Ounahi, Amrabat, Amallah; Ziyech, En-Nesyri, Boufal
Croatia possible starting lineup: starting lineup:Livakovic; Stanisic, Lovren, Gvardiol, Barisic; Modric, Brozovic, Kovacic; Vlasic, Petkovic, Perisic
Who will win the match?
We say: Morocco 1-3 Croatia. Despite the quality in their squad, Morocco are somewhat of an unknown quantity, and Croatia cannot afford any complacency. Nevertheless, in what we expect to be an entertaining encounter, we are backing the European nation to have too much quality at both ends of the pitch.