After the disappointment comes the fight for third place
The 2022 Winter World Cup in Qatar is inexorably drawing to a close. On Saturday, the two teams that suffered painful defeats in the semifinals will compete for the last time. Both teams will have to shake off the disappointment of not making it to the grand final. Whoever succeeds better should have the better chance of reaching third place between Croatia and Morocco in our betting tips.
It is more than understandable that one needs at least a few days to get the defeat in the semifinal out of one’s mind. It may not work for the rest of the lives of some of the players who will be on the pitch in Saturday’s third-place match. For most of the players who missed the chance, there won’t be such an opportunity again.
It will also come down to who third place at a World Cup means more to. Hrvatska were runners-up in Russia four years ago. For the Croats, it will therefore not be very important whether they end up third or fourth, even if coach Zlatko Dalic has announced that he wants to win this last World Cup match with his team.
The Moroccans have already achieved more than they were given credit for. The Atlas Lions have become the first African team to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup tournament. They will already be revered as heroes back home, no matter how the third-place match ends. We tend to predict between Croatia and Morocco that the Africans will finish third in the World Cup.
Croatia – statistics & current form
There is currently a lot of guesswork in the Croatian camp as to whether Luka Modric will end his international career. The decision will probably not be made immediately after the World Cup. It is conceivable that the Real Madrid superstar will be back for the EURO 2024 in Germany. What is certain, however, is that the midfield engine of the Croatians will end his career without a World Cup title.
Only one win in Qatar
Overall, the Croats probably didn’t deserve to win the trophy either. Certainly, Zlatko Dalic’s team is hard to beat, but of the six World Cup games, Hrvatska also only won against Canada in regular time. Other teams have performed better in Qatar and that’s why the odds on a win for the Fiery Ones in Croatia against Morocco are not our first choice either.
The first time the Croats really had no chance at this World Cup, however, was in the semi-final against Argentina. At the latest after the 0:1 after a little more than half an hour, Hrvatska was out of the game. Zlatko Dalic’s team was then unable to cope with the 0:2 that immediately followed. All in all, the 0:3 defeat against the Gauchos was also acceptable at this level.
It will be interesting to see with which formation the Croats will start in this match for third place. Marcelo Brozovic had to be substituted in the semi-final with thigh problems. It is conceivable that the Inter Milan midfielder will not play on Saturday. Otherwise, it will be interesting to see whether coach Zlatko Dalic will make a major rotation.
Predicted line-up of Croatia:
Livakovic – Sosa, Gvardiol, Lovren, Juranovic – Brozovic, Modric, Majer – Perisic, Orsic, Livaja – Coach: Dalic
Last matches played by Croatia:
World Cup Finals
14/12/2022 – Argentina 3 – 0 Croatia
09/12/2022 – Croatia (4)1 – 1(2) Brazil
05/12/2022 – Japan (1)1 – 1(3) Croatia
WM Group F
01/12/2022 – Croatia 0 – 0 Belgium
27/11/2022 – Croatia 4 – 1 Canada
Morocco – Statistics & current form
The teams that return home from a World Cup with their heads held high can usually be counted on one hand. The Atlas Lions are definitely one of those teams. It is not as if the North Africans have cheated their way through the tournament. Walid Regragui’s team fought passionately, stood out defensively for the most part and also made a great impact offensively time and again.
Best defence of the World Cup
Making it to the grand final might have been a bit too much of a good thing, but it is still said that you win titles with a stable defence. Three goals conceded in six games is the best record of any team at this tournament. Only Uruguay conceded fewer goals, two, but they also only had three games and were eliminated in the preliminary round. Therefore, between Croatia and Morocco, we dare to predict that less than 2.5 goals will be scored in this match for third place.
The problem, however, is that the Atlas Lions have scored too few goals of their own. For example, they were unable to overturn an early deficit in the semi-final against world champions France. But that should not obscure the fact that the North Africans once again delivered a great match and attacked the goal of the defending champions at times. In the final phase, Equipe Tricolore managed to score 2-0, but for the Moroccans one could also say after this semi-final – out with applause.
The Africans really put their hearts into every game at this World Cup and at times went beyond the pain barrier. On Saturday, however, we expect the ailing Romain Saiss and Nayef Aguerd to be out. Walid Cheddira could be an option in attack again after serving his suspension.
Predicted Morocco line-up:
Bono – Mazraoui, El Yamiq, Dari, Hakimi – Amrabat, Ounahi, Amallah – Boufal, Ziyech, En-Nesyri – Coach: Regragui
Last matches played by Morocco:
World Cup Finals
15/12/2022 – France 2 – 0 Morocco
10/12/2022 – Morocco 1 – 0 Portugal
06/12/2022 – Morocco (3)0 – 0(0) Spain
WM Group F
01/12/2022 – Canada 1 – 2 Morocco
27/11/2022 – Belgium 0 – 2 Morocco
Croatia – Morocco Direct Comparison / H2H Balance
To date, the national teams from Croatia and Morocco have only faced each other twice. Neither team was able to gain an advantage in the direct comparison, as both duels ended in a draw. The first time these two teams met, however, there were goals. In December 1996, they played out a 2-2 draw in a test match that was marred by several sending-offs.
The last duel was just three weeks ago. In their opening match at the World Cup in Qatar, the two rivals parted with a goalless draw. With the benefit of hindsight, we know that this obviously made Group F the strongest pool in the preliminary round, as it was the only group to take two teams through to the semi-finals.
Croatia – Morocco Tip
Who is really up for the third-place match again? That is the question to be answered on Saturday. Tendentially, we think the Moroccans want it more because it’s simply the biggest tournament they’ve ever played. For the Croats, on the other hand, it won’t matter so much whether they finish third or fourth, although of course you go into every game wanting to win it.
The Croatians, however, have had problems winning in Qatar and have only won one of six games in the regular season. Especially in the offensive they have shown their weaknesses and that is also the reason why they did not make it to the final again
Although the pressure is now off, we don’t expect a breathtaking game. The Moroccans have only conceded three goals in six games. In addition, neither team can exactly be described as a goal factory. Therefore, we have decided to play the betting odds between Croatia and Morocco on less than 2.5 goals.
