Croatia vs. Morocco - Betting tips, predictions, and odds
Croatia and Morocco will fight for the bronze medal at the FIFA World Cup when they meet at Khalifa International Stadium. Here you can check out the best Croatia vs. Morocco betting tips and predictions.
H2H, form, and stats
Croatia and Morocco have met just once and it was in the group stage of this World Cup. The game ended without goals.
Croatia finished second in that group behind Morocco and then got to the semi-final after defeating Japan and Brazil. Vatreni didn't win those matches in regulation, but they had excellent Dominik Livaković at the goal, who made some great saves in the penalty shootout to help his nation advance to the semis.
However, Croatia couldn't repeat its success from Russia four years ago and reach the final as Argentina proved to be too strong and beat Zlatko Dalić’s men 3-0. The game was pretty much decided in the first half as La Albiceleste scored a pair of goals in the space of five minutes. Croatia didn't have a single shot on target in the opening 45 minutes and although they played better in the second half, they failed to score.
Morocco is the most pleasant surprise of the World Cup as it became the first African nation to reach the semis. The Atlas Lions conceded just one goal before the game against France and that goal was Nayef Aguerd’s own goal in a 2-1 win over Canada in the group phase.
Morocco topped that group ahead of Croatia and then beat Spain on penalties and Portugal 1-0. Walid Regragui’s side lost the semis to France, but they deserved to score and had a couple of excellent chances. Still, Les Bleus won 2-0, but the Moroccans left a good impression. It was their first loss in 13 matches.
Injuries and squad news
Croatia’s head coach Zlatko Dalić doesn't have any injury-related issues, but his attack still seems inefficient and he has to make some changes. Apart from a 4-1 victory over Canada, Croatia scored just two goals in five games, one of which came in extra-time in the quarter-finals against Brazil. Mario Pašalić is not playing well, so we could see Mislav Oršić, Bruno Petković, or Marko Livaja instead of him in the attack.
Walid Regragui has problems with a couple of injured defenders. Both of them are crucial for Morocco. While Nayef Aguerd didn't play against France and is questionable with a thigh injury, Romain Saiss started against France and tried to play but had to exit after only 21 minutes with a muscle injury. Both are questionable to take on Croatia on Saturday.
Betting predictions and odds
Croatia is a slight 2.31 favorite to beat Morocco in regulation and win the bronze medal at the World Cup in Qatar. If you think Morocco can get a win, back the Atlas Lions at 3.08, while a draw is 3.38. For those who prefer betting on goals, Over 2.5 goals is 1.91 and Under 2.5 goals is 1.89.
Our best tip for Croatia vs. Morocco game
We expect to see another chess game just like these two teams played in the group stage. There is still a lot at stake, especially for Morocco, who has a historic chance to win a medal at the World Cup, while Croatia already has a bronze and a silver medal from the World Cup.
That said, we believe the Atlas Lions will be more motivated to get a win, but we also don't think we will get a winner in regulation. Another extra time or penalties are on the cards. Neither side is effective offensively but is excellent when it comes to defense, so we expect a draw with a 0-0 or 1-1 scoreline.
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Croatia vs. Morocco: Where to watch? Date, hour, and TV schedule
- FIFA World Cup
- Venue: Khalifa International Stadium (Doha)
- Saturday, December 17, 2022,
- 4 PM CET
To check the full TV schedule visit https://www.protipster.com/football-live-stream.
