BELGIUM – MOROCCO | Sunday 2pm
Among the so-called big boys who did not make a good impression on the first day, we cannot fail to mention Roberto Martinez’s Belgium. The Red Devils achieved the minimum objective, which was the three points, but for long stretches they were at the mercy of a Canada side that frankly deserved to leave the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium with at least a point in their pocket. It was a surprisingly ‘dirty’ victory for De Bruyne and his team-mates: the Manchester City midfielder himself, who was awarded as the best player on the pitch at the end of the match, admitted that he did not shine and could not explain why the trophy did not end up in the hands of Thibaut Courtois, the true star of the evening. The Real Madrid goalkeeper performed several miracles, but above all neutralised Alphonso Davies’ penalty that could have put the North Americans ahead.
If Belgium look down on everyone in Group F today, also taking advantage of the draw between Morocco and Croatia, they owe it mainly to their reserve centre forward.
Without the injured Lukaku, it was up to Fenerbahçe striker Batshuayi to pull the chestnuts out of the fire for the Spanish coach, scoring the goal that decided the match at the end of the first half. Everyone happy and content? Only partially. And there seems to be an awareness among the players that they will have to raise their level to get to grips with a tough Moroccan national team, fresh from an excellent draw (0-0) with the Croatians in which they showed they could play their chances. Walid Regragui’s men did not disappoint expectations and gave a very tidy performance in their Qatar 2022 debut against a team with more experience and quality. Despite ‘handing over’ the ball to Modric and his team-mates, Morocco still managed to make themselves dangerous, appearing several times in the area of the vice-world champion national team.
Belgium-Morocco: the latest line-up news
Amrabat
Although coach Martinez continues to hope for a miracle, Lukaku will not be in the match this time either. The Inter striker is recovering from the injury that prevented him from playing the last few games with the Nerazzurri and is unlikely to make the grade and be on the pitch against Morocco. From the 1′ we will therefore see Batshuayi again, supported by the De Bruyne-Eden Hazard pair. The only changes could concern the midfield, where Meunier and Onana will challenge Castagne and Tielemans.
In Morocco, the condition of the two full-backs Hakimi and Mazraoui, not at their best after the “battle” with Croatia, is a concern, but both should grit their teeth given the importance of this match. In the middle, the coach will certainly confirm Amrabat: the Fiorentina midfielder was among the best on the field. In the attacking trident, Ziyech and Boufal will assist Sevilla’s centre forward En-Nesyri.
The Prediction
Replaying their good showing against Croatia, Morocco could defuse the Belgian attack, orphaned by Lukaku and fresh from a very colourless performance against Canada. On the whole, Belgium certainly has a stronger squad than Morocco, with players capable of deciding the match with a play. And not surprisingly, bookmakers are slight favourites in this match, which is crucial to the fortunes of both sides. However, we believe Morocco will give them a run for their money in a match of less than three goals overall.
Belgium-Morocco line-up probables
- BELGIUM (3-4-2-1): Courtois; Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Dendoncker; Meunier, Tielemans, Witsel, Carrasco; De Bruyne, E. Hazard; Batshuayi.
- MOROcco (4-3-3): Bounou; Hakimi, Aguerd, Saiss, Mazraoui; Ounahi, Amrabat, Amallah; Ziyech, En-Nesyri, Boufal.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-0
