Portugal vs Morocco
Spain already failed to stop Cristiano Ronaldo. How much more when Portugal and their talisman face Morocco?
The Portuguese passed their biggest World Cup 2018 challenge yet when they drew with Spain. Now, all they have to do is win their other two games to make it to the Round of 16 and possibly top Group B.
Fortunately for Portugal, such task doesn’t seem difficult. After all, their next two opponents are considered minnows in their group, with the first one against a Moroccan team that lacks the necessary experience on the big stage.
Talking Points
While they would rue the fact that they failed to beat a Spain side reeling from the surprise sacking of manager Julen Lopetegui, Portugal would still be satisfied with their 3-3 draw.
Not only did they prove that they have a team that can compete with the best, but they also showed they have a player capable of leading them to World Cup immortality.
Sure, everybody expected Ronaldo to be the key man for Portugal. He’s a five-time Ballon d’Or winner to start with. However, his hat-trick against Spain certainly inspired the nation and made them believe they can actually win the whole thing.
Making things more satisfying for Portugal, their other rivals failed to deliver positive World Cup 2018 results. Germany lost to Mexico 1-0 while Argentina played out a 1-1 draw with the 22nd-ranked Iceland.
A Selecao das Quinas can still improve defensively, but no one really expected their defence to hold its ground against La Roja who are technically superior.
And against Morocco, Portugal shouldn’t have a hard time and face the same issues they did against the 2010 champions.
The Atlas Lions controlled possession and dominated their game against Iran. Nonetheless, it was still not enough as they lost when Aziz Bouhaddouz headed what could be described as one of the most spectacular own goals in the history of the tournament.
Bouhaddouz’ error aside, it can’t be denied that Morocco could have won that game easily. They wasted numerous chances in the first half of the match and didn’t even face a single shot from Iran in the second frame!
Their lack of experience on the big stage was apparent, and that won’t cut it in the World Cup. In tournaments like this, teams need to show that they can convert when it matters most.
The Moroccans are sound defensively and are undoubtedly capable of making life a little bit difficult for Portugal. Keeping six clean sheets in the Africa qualifiers is no easy feat, after all.
Nevertheless, they have never faced a team with such a strong and deadly striker as the Portuguese, and that should be a problem for them.
History
Morocco won their lone meeting against Portugal in the World Cup…32 years ago! Interestingly, that was also the nation’s first-ever win at the tournament.
Time has certainly changed though, and the Moroccans shouldn’t look at history too much given their current ranking. Herve Renard’s Atlas Lions are 41st in the world, way behind Fernando Santos’ men that are rated fourth.
Moreover, it has been a long time since Portugal lost to a non-European outfit in the World Cup. In fact, we have to go back all the way to the 2002 FIFA edition to find one, a 1-0 defeat to South Korea.
Portugal are unbeaten against other non-European nations since then, winning five and drawing the other three.
A closer look at their record also suggests that this Portuguese side is difficult to beat in the group stages. While they didn’t make it past the group phase in 2014, they have a 5-4-1 win-draw-loss record in their last 10 World Cup group fixtures.
What are the odds?
Based on our World Cup 2018 odds, Ronaldo and Co. are expected to pull off a dominating win against Morocco. Portugal are tipped at 1X2 @ 1.65 while their African opponents are at 1X2 @ 5.80.
Ronaldo scored two goals in the first half of their Spain match, and Portugal are at 2.33 to lead in the opening frame.
SBOBET Asian Handicap sports betting also have Portugal as the runaway winner, as proven by their -0.75 handicap that pays at 1.88. Morocco, on the other hand, are at 2.05 with a +0.75 start.
Moreover, another three-goal game might be on the books. Total Goal 2-3 pays at 1.91 while 4-6 is at 4.40, implying that the former is the more likely result in the game. That should be better than Total Goal 0-1, which—fortunately—is at odds of 2.75.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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