Croatia vs Morocco is the clash for the 3rd place of the 2022 World Cup. It’s a rematch of their group stage game, which finished 0-0 some three weeks ago. The second-ever duel between these two nations might not finish goalless. In fact, none of the World Cup 3rd-place games has ever finished without goals.
But if we’re going to see some goals on Saturday, December 17 at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, which team will score more? That’s the question we’ll try to answer in our Croatia vs Morocco preview.
Croatia vs Morocco Odds
Match-Winner
| Match Winner | Odds |
|---|---|
| Argentina | +179 |
| Draw | +200 |
| France | +175 |
Goals Over/Under
| Goals Over/Under | Odds |
|---|---|
| Over 2.5 | +150 |
| Under 2.5 | -189 |
When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar
- Date: Saturday, December 17, 2022
- Time: 10:00 AM ET
- How to Watch: FOX/Telemundo
The Checkered Ones are Seen as (Slight) Favorites in Saturday’s Game
Four years ago, Croatia finished second in the World Cup. This time, the best they can do is win third place. Even though they came to Qatar as underdogs, they were able to get all the way to the semifinal. They got there after knocking out a couple of real heavyweights, most notably, Brazil in the quarterfinal.
Truth be told, the Croatians weren’t too impressive on the pitch. In fact, they went passed Brazil after beating Tite’s team on penalties. That’s the same method they defeated Japan a round before.
After two straight games that lasted for over 120 minutes, they finally played a game that ended in normal time. Unfortunately for that, they weren’t the ones to win that game. Instead, Argentina beat them 3-0 in the semifinal.
Morocco Have Already Achieved a Lot
The Atlas Lions have carved their names in the history books by becoming the first African nation to qualify for the World Cup semifinal. They did it by following a similar pattern to Croatia. They too played defensive soccer, which is why they kept a clean sheet in four of the six games they’ve played so far.
They were unable to do the same against France in the semifinal, which they ended up losing 2-0. Still, there’s a feeling that they knew their chances were minimal, so the loss did not hurt their feelings too much.
Against Croatia, they do stand a good chance, especially considering that they’re physically superior to their opponents.
Croatia vs Morocco Prediction
Both teams have huge motivation to win Saturday’s game. After all, the winner gets $2 million, as well as the bragging rights for being the world’s third-best team. If Croatia do it, it’s going to be the third time they’ve finished in the Top 3. If Morocco do it, it’s going to be the first time a team from Africa has done it in the history of the World Cup.
That said, the motivation might be on the side of the Moroccans, although that’s up for debate. What’s non-debatable is that the Atlas Lions have better stamina than their rivals for the 3rd spot. Not only have they spent fewer minutes on the pitch than Croatia, but their key men are much younger than those playing for Croatia.
For example, Croatia’s captain Luka Modric is 37, while Morocco’s skipper Romain Saiss is five years younger.
Pick: Morocco to win the 3rd place