Croatia vs Morocco

It's the game no team wants. These Croatia vs. Morocco predictions are for the World Cup Third Place Play-Off – where even victory will be little ...

There will be changes to the starting XI – and there will be plenty of substitutes throughout after a tiring competition. Ivan Perišic may start at the back in place of 1 With injuries and suspensions, Morocco kept on battling but a third place play-off is their only reward. In fact, ‘battle’ is probably too strong a word for a match that no one really wants to play in. Morocco predictions are for the World Cup Third Place Play-Off tie – where even a victory will be of little consolation for all involved.

The World Cup third place match is mostly useless, little more than an exhibition for two teams already officially "eliminated" from the competition.

The Sporting News will update this section when those have been published. Chelsea star Hakim Ziyech has had a quiet tournament playing in Morocco's defensive system, but is thought to have around a 3/1 chance of finding the back of the net. Any: 5/2 Any: 2/1 Any: 7/2 For Morocco, there are a host of injury issues for head coach Walid Regragui to work around. Look for critical locker room presence Domagoj Vida to get his first minutes of this tournament along the defensive line in what is likely his final World Cup match. However, those with aches and pains could prioritise their club careers first, meaning Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic may not be locks to start. Croatia are the slight favourite in this third place match, but Morocco are thought very likely to give their European foes a challenge. For 37-year-old superstar Luka Modric, who is considered one of the greatest midfielders to ever live, it is almost surely a final dance in the sport's biggest environment. Important players such as Ivan Perisic, Dejan Lovren, Domagoj Vida, Marcelo Brozovic, and Andrej Kramaric are all over 30 years old and could be playing in their final World Cup. It will behoove the Morocco squad to put on one more positive performance to see their fans out with a boom.

Croatia and Morocco go head to head in the World Cup third-place playoff on Saturday.

Croatia vs Morocco odds If any side has the experience to deal with that, it is surely Croatia. Croatia vs Morocco prediction

Croatia and Morocco must quickly get over semifinal disappointment as they look to secure third place in the 2022 World Cup.

Bounou (GK) — 2. Livakovic (GK) — 22. 14 20 (4-3-3, right to left): 1. With all our squad fit we could have caused them a lot of problems."

Croatia and Morocco go head to head in the World Cup third-place playoff on Saturday. While Qatar 2022 has been full of surprises, the two outsiders were ...

Everything you need to know ahead of the third-place play-off at the 2022 World Cup between Croatia and Morocco.

[Japan](https://theathletic.com/football/team/japan/) in the last-16 but managed to get the job done on penalties. [Lionel Messi](https://theathletic.com/football/player/lionel-messi-HlEFpLdbHt68CnvJ/) brought [Josko Gvardiol](https://theathletic.com/football/player/josko-gvardiol-Q36YxjElleCmJU6X/) crashing back down to earth just for good measure in the second half as the South Americans won 3-0. [Croatia](https://theathletic.com/football/team/croatia/) and [Morocco](https://theathletic.com/football/team/morocco/) must get over their semi-final defeats as they prepare for the [World Cup](https://theathletic.com/football/world-cup/) third-place play-off on Saturday, December 17. [Noussair Mazraoui](https://theathletic.com/football/player/noussair-mazraoui-N0O0yBol0O5V2Af2/) was then replaced at half-time. Morocco to win: 34%. Croatia to win: 37%. [West Ham](https://theathletic.com/football/team/west-ham-united/)’s Aguerd in the group game against [Canada](https://theathletic.com/football/team/canada/). [Sofyan Amrabat](https://theathletic.com/football/player/sofyan-amrabat-Y9GWMzy7vV9I3LcC/) and [Azzedine Ounahi](https://theathletic.com/football/player/azzedine-ounahi-VheOAm7M9LnOvN1t/) have the frontrunners in a team of heroes for the continent of Africa. [Spain](https://theathletic.com/football/team/spain/) and [Portugal](https://theathletic.com/football/team/portugal/) without conceding a goal. Luckily, it does not appear anything serious and his manager admitted the decision was made with further involvement in mind. [Argentina](https://theathletic.com/football/team/argentina/) and [France](https://theathletic.com/football/team/france/) were the two teams who advanced to the final. [Belgium](https://theathletic.com/football/team/belgium/).

Croatia will face Morocco this weekend in the 2022 World Cup third-place play-off after both teams were beaten in the semi-finals.Vatreni lost 3-0 to.

- None of the 19 previous third place play-off matches at the World Cup have gone to penalties, with only one being settled in extra time (France v Belgium in 1986). Croatia were restricted to five shots, their fewest ever in a World Cup match. - Morocco conceded more goals in their 2-0 semi-final defeat to France than they had in their previous five matches at this World Cup combined (1). - 37-year-old Luka Modric has played in all six of Croatia’s games at this World Cup. They’ve also faced more shots than any other side at this tournament (75). Of course, he will decide about it himself. It will be difficult for me if Modric says goodbye. - Croatia conceded as many goals in their 3-0 semi-final defeat against Argentina as they had in their previous five games at the 2022 World Cup combined. talkSPORT is bringing you wall-to-wall coverage of the 2022 World Cup. He said: “I hope he stays in the national team. talkSPORT World Cup 2022 Coverage Croatia will face Morocco this weekend in the 2022 World Cup third-place play-off after both teams were beaten in the semi-finals.

Preview of Croatia's meeting with Morocco in the World Cup third-place playoff, including team news, lineups and prediction.

0-0 DRAW – Croatia and Morocco have failed to score in more games than any other side at the 2022 World Cup (3 each), with the two sides playing out a goalless draw on MD1. Croatia may have the edge over Morocco's depleted ranks but they will be pushed for that spot on the podium. Yet, it's an even bigger game for Morocco, who already made history by reaching the semi-final but could add a bronze hue to their entry in the record books. Both nations will end the World Cup against the foe which kicked off their tournament. [here](https://open.spotify.com/episode/2MxBJzNaal2blHdqTX00y8) to download or listen to the episode in full! Nayef Aguerd pulled out just before kick-off with a thigh problem and Noussair Mazraoui couldn't make it to the second half after nursing an illness and a hip issue. After losing to France, Walid Regragui lamented: "We had too many players at 60% or 70%." Surely Romain Saiss' powers of recovering have been expended. Morocco showed plenty of fight but struggled to convert their pressure into chances, let alone goals against France. [BeGambleAware.org](https://www.begambleaware.org/) [Inter](https://www.90min.com/teams/inter) midfielder for much of the [Serie A](https://www.90min.com/leagues/serie-a) campaign. [Croatia predicted lineup vs Morocco](https://www.90min.com/posts/croatia-predicted-lineup-vs-morocco-world-cup-third-place-play-off-17-12-22)

Croatia face surprise package Morocco as they look to finish their respective campaigns on a high despite missing out on the World Cup final.

"I think the world as a whole is proud of this Moroccan team because we show great desire. Morocco coach Walid Regragui said of his own team: "We realise that we made a great achievement already. All we have to do is pull ourselves together, hold our heads up, and fight for third place. Will Morocco be able to secure another upset victory? You can also follow along via the Eurosport app. This will be the third meeting between Croatia and Morocco, and only weeks after their earlier meeting in the World Cup group stages that finished 0-0.

Preview of Croatia's meeting with Morocco in the World Cup third-place playoff, including team news, lineups and prediction.

0-0 DRAW – Croatia and Morocco have failed to score in more games than any other side at the 2022 World Cup (3 each), with the two sides playing out a goalless draw on MD1. Croatia may have the edge over Morocco's depleted ranks but they will be pushed for that spot on the podium. Yet, it's an even bigger game for Morocco, who already made history by reaching the semi-final but could add a bronze hue to their entry in the record books. Both nations will end the World Cup against the foe which kicked off their tournament. [here](https://open.spotify.com/episode/2MxBJzNaal2blHdqTX00y8) to download or listen to the episode in full! Nayef Aguerd pulled out just before kick-off with a thigh problem and Noussair Mazraoui couldn't make it to the second half after nursing an illness and a hip issue. After losing to France, Walid Regragui lamented: "We had too many players at 60% or 70%." Surely Romain Saiss' powers of recovering have been expended. Morocco showed plenty of fight but struggled to convert their pressure into chances, let alone goals against France. [BeGambleAware.org](https://www.begambleaware.org/) [Inter](https://www.90min.com/teams/inter) midfielder for much of the [Serie A](https://www.90min.com/leagues/serie-a) campaign. [Croatia predicted lineup vs Morocco](https://www.90min.com/posts/croatia-predicted-lineup-vs-morocco-world-cup-third-place-play-off-17-12-22)

World Cup prediction, odds, and betting tips for Croatia vs Morocco on December 17. World Cup free pick and game analysis.

That is key, especially with Morocco having a number of players with knocks and minor injuries. The manner of their semifinal defeats will have an impact, too. It’s also worth noting that in four of those five games, it’s been the more established, widely acclaimed team that has won. In those five games, we’ve seen 19 goals, with all but one seeing Over 2.5 goals. How will those defeats in the week impact their build-up to this game? Will both teams be over their World Cup disappointment?

After almost a month of soccer, the 2022 FIFA World Cup is coming to an end. While most eyes are on the big final between Argentina and France, ...

While this game might not sound as attractive as France versus Argentina, this is both Croatia and Morocco’s last chance of showing they deserved a spot in the final too. On the other side of the matchup, Morocco is having one of the greatest Cinderella stories in tournament history. Assuming he starts, this will almost certainly be the final Croatia World Cup appearance for Modric, who will go down as the nation’s all-time greatest player. World Cup streams can be found on FOXSports.com, the FOX Sports app, and Peacock (Spanish). After almost a month of soccer, the 2022 FIFA World Cup is coming to an end. While both teams certainly wanted more, this matchup will give them a chance to leave Qatar with a bronze medal.

World Cup 2022 third-place play-off: Predicting how Croatia vs Morocco will play out.

Unfortunately for fans of the ultimate underdogs, Morocco might just have used up all of their magic at this tournament. Croatia fell short of a stunning, second straight run to the World Cup final this week, while ultimate underdogs Morocco also ran out of magic in the semi-finals. The same can be said of centre back Josep Gvardiol, who was not at full health for that fixture and may be rested here to avoid further injury.

Both nations have produced some outstanding performances and will now meet at the Khalifa International Stadium for the bronze medal.

are favorites going into the third place match at 6/5 (2.2), while a win for their North African opponents is tipped at 19/10 (2.9). And now, they will battle it out for the third position on Saturday at (10 a.m. A draw is being paid at 9/4 (3.25). [World Cup](https://en.as.com/soccer/how-many-substitutions-can-teams-make-at-the-qatar-2022-world-cup-n-2/) semi-finals, although they were denied a place in the final after losing to Argentina and France respectively. [Walid Regragui’s men ](https://en.as.com/soccer/walid-regragui-says-whole-world-is-proud-of-this-moroccan-team-after-semi-final-defeat-to-france-n/)have made history in Qatar, as they had never gone this far in the tournament and they have become the only African nation to have ever reached the semi-finals. However, things played out differently.

Croatia midfielders Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Ivan Perisic and goalkeeper, Dominik Livakovic take. JACK GUEZAFP. Despite the Moroccan fairytale taking a ...

I expect that Walid Regragui will revert to his tried and tested 4-1-4-1 for the game in an attempt to nullify Croatia’s midfield. Croatia come into the game finally tired, perhaps for the first time since 2018, and with Marcelo Brozovic a major doubt. It all sounds quite depressing, talking about two teams that have come off the back of elimination from football’s most highly-regarded tournament, but what these two nations have done is simply extraordinary: Croatia and Morocco’s populations combined would perhaps only just reach that of Argentina’s and still be almost half that of France’s.

World Cup 2022 third-place play-off: Croatia vs Morocco team news and predicted line-ups.

Unfortunately for fans of the ultimate underdogs, Morocco might just have used up all of their magic at this tournament. As good as Morocco were against France, they seemed about 30 per cent off their best due to a combination of fatigue and injuries. The same can be said of centre back Josep Gvardiol, who was not at full health for that fixture and may be rested here to avoid further injury.

Croatia are going for their second consecutive third-place finish, while Morocco already made history by making the semi-finals.

They then had a hard-fought 1-0 win over Portugal to become the first African nation to reach the semi-finals. The last-16 clash saw Morocco celebrate a historic World Cup win over Spain. The Atlas Lions finished top of Group F after beating Belgium and Canada and earning a goalless draw with Croatia. In the Round of 16, They conceded early on from a wonderful Theo Hernandez close range effort, but the North Africans rallied and threatened for much of the game, before Randal Kolo Muani doubled France's lead deep into the second half. Neymar tied Pele's record for most goals for the national team, giving Brazil the lead in extra time.

The World Cup draws to a close with Croatia vs Morocco in the third-place playoff on Saturday and Argentina vs France in the big one on Sunday; ...

In their three knockout games, France have conceded an average of almost 14 shots per 90 minutes to a backdrop of a per 90 minutes expected goals ratio of 1.72. But in this instance, there is a footballing god at the heart of a football match for whom the stars are aligning for. However, if you stretch it back throughout history, the average goal count in a World Cup final is 3.2 in 90 minutes. A quick, basic draw down of the total match shots in the last 14 third-place playoffs shows that each match is providing 31.2 shots per 90 minutes. That is a bet to consider but my money will be investing in the shots markets where there are some very juicy prices at odds-against to attack. I'll be backing him to have three or more shots at 13/8 with Sky Bet, four or more at 4/1 and two shots on target at 100/30.

Croatia and Morocco will get a deserved moment in the sun as they look to finish their World Cup journey strong. The third place match at the FIFA World Cup ...

Morocco will play a more uptempo style, but Croatia will look to keep them off the ball. We've hammered the second half all World Cup to a profitable effect, but in the third-place match, both teams will come out guns blazing in the opening 45 minutes. The creativity of Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann has been the talk of this World Cup, but one player who hasn't received nearly the plaudits his creative abilities have deserved is Mateo Kovacic. International friendlies are always more open in the first half, and this meaningless game should be no different. Croatia are the slight favourite in this third-place match, but Morocco are thought very likely to give their European foes a challenge. The two sides both like to play defense with possession, dominating the midfield and not allowing the opposition to have many attacking moves. Look for critical locker room presence Domagoj Vida to get his first minutes of this tournament along the defensive line in what is likely his final World Cup match. They put in a great performance against France given the circumstances, but the gas tank is almost empty. Midfielder Marcelo Brozovic was withdrawn in the 50th minute of the semifinal defeat to Argentina and appeared to be struggling with an injury, so the Inter man too could be left to the bench. Interestingly, despite each side's defensive nature throughout the World Cup, the over is a decent favourite, while both teams are thought likely to avoid being shut out. They're sporting a number of injuries at key positions but will still hope they can produce one more 90-minute show for their fans who have flooded Qatar stadiums for every match in full support. Likewise, many of the core Croatian players like Marcelo Brozovic and Andrej Kramaric also could be in their final World Cup rodeo.

Morocco couldn't beat France in the World Cup semifinal but they've already made history. The Atlas Lions became the first African nation to ever make it to the ...

He's contributed two goals in 457 minutes of football and is the Atlas Lions' top scorer in Qatar. Morocco topped Group F to make it to the knockout phase - finishing ahead of Croatia, Belgium and Canada in the process - before eliminating Spain in the Round of 16 and Portugal in the semi-final. The Atlas Lions became the first African nation to ever make it to the final four of world football's most prestigious competition - their previous best finish saw them reach the Round of 16 at Mexico 1986. Croatia did superbly to make it to the semifinal of the World Cup but they ultimately fell short. Croatia's best-ever finish at the World Cup was runner-up, which they achieved at Russia 2018 when they lost to France in the final. To make it through to the knockout phase Croatia finished second in Group F - finishing two points behind Morocco but ahead of Belgium and Canada.