Morocco-Portugal is a World Cup 2022 quarter-final match played on Saturday at 16:00: odds, predictions, TV and streaming.
Here’s the challenge you don’t expect. It could – and, in some ways, should – have been either talented Spain or noble Germany in this section of the table. And instead, contending for a place in the semi-finals against Portugal will be underdog Morocco, who have reached the quarter-finals of a World Cup for the first time in their history. Never before have the Lions of the Atlas Mountains ventured this far and landed in the top eight. The Moroccan selection, match after match, enjoyed disproving all eve’s predictions. And consequently also the stereotypes about the competitiveness of African national teams. It should have played the role of the extra in a group in which the first two places seemed to be the prerogative of Croatia and Belgium, two qualitatively superior teams with more experience at certain levels.
Both of them, however, came up against the ‘wall’ built by coach Walid Regragui, one of the main architects of this ride that is making an entire nation explode with joy and has already reserved a special place in the almanacs.
Let us dispel any doubts at once: Morocco is in the quarters with merit. Not a single defeat in four matches, they won their group ahead of vice-world champions Croatia, who were stopped at the opener at 0-0. Then the masterpiece in the decisive victory over top-ranked Belgium, beaten 2-0: at that point, it was enough not to lose to the already eliminated Canada to gain a pass for the round of 16. And Ziyech and his team-mates did not disappoint: a 2-1 success, conceding their first – and so far only – goal in the competition, but only through an own goal.
The fairytale should have ended with Luis Enrique’s Spain (now resigned) but for the Roja it was only the beginning of a nightmare. Regragui’s team closed practically every space to the Spaniards, making their obsessive possession even more sterile. The Florentine Amrabat again giantised in midfield, disorientating the various Gavi and Pedri. And then Morocco exploited their quality on the counter-attacks: they speculated but did it well and the three forwards up front, especially Boufal and Ziyech, did an extraordinary job even in the non-possession phase. During the penalty shootout, however, goalkeeper Bono took the lead, neutralising all three of Spain’s shots and allowing former Inter player Hakimi to spoon the decisive penalty
Portugal are no longer CR7 addicts
Morocco will now attempt yet another feat with another ‘neighbour’, Fernando Santos’ Portugal, fresh from a spectacular victory over hapless Switzerland. It was a real ‘slaughter’ in the round of 16 at the Iconic Stadium, with the Lusitanians already 4-0 up after 50 minutes of play against a team that makes solidity its main strong point. But the most striking aspect was that they managed to do so without their icon Ronaldo, who was surprisingly benched by the coach. It was a courageous move, but one that turned out to be the right one: CR7’s replacement, the young Benfica striker Gonçalo Ramos scored a hat-trick – not since Italy 1990 has a player scored three goals in the knockout phase – under the smiling but at the same time grim gaze of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
The match against the Helvetians ended with a tennis-like 6-1. An ‘exaggerated’ Portugal, which from the midfield upwards boasts quality and class in abundance and finally manages to express it properly. Aside from the ‘Ronaldo case’ – rumours of his possible early departure due to lost eligibility having been dismissed – Santos’ men arrive at the challenge with Morocco with enthusiasm sky-high and with an attack of 12 goals in four matches.
Morocco-Portugal: latest line-up news
Gonçalo Ramos
Some of Morocco’s star players appeared exhausted after the round of 16 against Spain. We are talking about central defender Aguerd and his team-mate Saiss: the two strong points of Regragui’s national team are at half service. Amrabat himself admitted that he could only play after infiltrations. El Yamiq is on early alert, but the eleven that will face Portugal will be identical to the one that took the field with Roja.
Fernando Santos will also repropose the eleven that swept aside Switzerland, with Cristiano Ronaldo heading for another excellent exclusion. Leao will also be on the bench. The World Cup is over for Danilo Pereira and Nuno Mendes, who are both injured.
The Prediction
Morocco don’t want to wake up from their dream and promise a battle: they are a team that has so far defended impeccably against stronger opponents and have shown that they can get off to a great start. But they might suffer from some fatigue after the hard-fought 120 minutes against Spain. In all likelihood, the quality of the many offensive players at Portugal’s disposal will be decisive: sooner or later they will be able to break through the Moroccan ‘portcullis’, which should give way this time. In any case, a very balanced quarter-final is on the horizon, in which it is assumed that the total number of goals will be less than three.
Morocco v Portugal
The likely line-ups for Morocco v Portugal
- MOROcco (4-3-3): Bono; Hakimi, El Yamiq, Saiss, Mazraoui; Amallah, Amrabat, Ounahi; Ziyech, En-Nesyri, Boufal.
- PORTOGALLO (4-3-3): Diogo Costa; Dalot, Pepe, Ruben Dias, Guerreiro; William Carvalho, Otavio, Bruno Fernandes; Joao Felix, Gonçalo Ramos, Bernardo Silva.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 0-1
