Argentina dismantled Croatia in the semi-finals of the World Cup. They have a chance to settle for third place in this tournament, while Morocco is looking to crown their efforts with a bronze medal in the Qatar World Cup 2022. Can the 2018 WC finalists deny the Africans of being top-3 in Qatar?
Croatia’s conservative style of play wasn’t enough against Argentina. They fell to their first defeat of the tournament after a spectacular outing that saw them come close to matching their performances in the World Cup 2018. Croatia still has a shot at picking up a medal, and with Luka Modric retiring, the national team would be eager to give him a good send-off. A positive result in this game is one of the most common picks at Croatian betting sites.
Morocco couldn’t hold off France for long in the semi-finals of the World Cup, conceding very early in the game. Despite the tough loss, the Atlas Lions have the best finish for an African team at the FIFA World Cup. Walid Regragui came under a lot of criticism for his team’s style of play, but he would be hoping to beat Croatia to a third-place finish in this competition.
| Tournament: | FIFA Qatar World Cup 2022 Playoffs, Third-Place Match |
| Venue: | Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar |
| Date: | 10:00 a.m. EST on Saturday, 17 December 2022 |
Both teams are closely matched in this fixture, but Croatia is slightly priced as the favorite to win. A victory for the Blazers in normal time is set at 2.38 (11/8), while Morocco is priced at 3.00 (2/1) to secure the win in 90 minutes. Both teams have been on the end of draws in the knockouts, and a tie in this game is valued at 3.50 (5/2).
The bookmakers have set the odds for qualification in case of extra time and penalties. Croatia’s odds for qualification are valued at 1.73 (8/11), while the odds for Morocco to secure third place are pegged at 2.10 (11/10).
Many sportsIn-play modeLive streaming25+ sportsSuperb bonusesEasy to useVIP programLive gamesMany bonusesMany bonuses24/7 supportMobile appsLive bettingMany sportsFast payoutsCroatia was unbeaten before their semi-finals clash against Argentina. The Blazers have been very promising in their World Cup games and were just 90 minutes away from making back-to-back World Cup finals. Croatia’s defeat against Argentina was only their second loss in 15 games this year. The Croatian national team is one of the best teams in Europe this year and is in the final four of the UEFA Nations League. Croatia can get some consolation with a victory over Morocco in this tournament.
Morocco is the best-performing African team at the World Cup, shattering the record of the best-ever finish for an African side in this tournament. They have gotten the better of bigger teams in this competition and aren’t afraid to surrender possession. Morocco has been in great form this year and has avoided defeat 16 times in 19 games in all competitions. They have outperformed their expectations ahead of this tournament and would be looking to crown their efforts with success over the Croatians.
Both teams already met in the group stage of the Qatar World Cup 2022, while the bookies expected victory for Europeans. That is the only meeting between these two sides, with both teams sharing the spoils. This time, the best Moroccan bookmakers even see their national team closer to winning the game despite the slight advantage of the Croatians overall.
Croatia: LDDDW
Morocco: LWDWW
Croatia and Morocco are very conservative teams, and that has been their selling point in this competition. Zlatko Dalic’s Croatia has often surrendered possession against top teams and needed a penalty shootout against Brazil to reach the semi-finals. Half of Croatia’s total games at the FIFA World Cup 2022 ended in a tie after 90 minutes. With all on the line for a bronze medal in this tournament, Croatia is expected to stick to their conservative style of play as they are very good on penalties.
Like Croatia, Walid Regragui’s Morocco doesn’t take the game to the opposition. The Moroccans are one of the teams with the lowest average possession in the FIFA World Cup 2022. Morocco’s game plan against bigger teams has drawn so much criticism. They were very happy to take the game to a penalty shootout against Spain, where they eventually progressed to the next round. Morocco and Croatia played out a goalless draw in the group stage, and there’s a high chance both teams are inseparable after 90 minutes. Expecting the sides to play one more time in a draw is the best option to bet on WC 2022 third-place match.
Considering both teams’ strengths and recent performances, Croatia is the better team heading into this fixture and has key players that can decide the outcome of this game. Luka Modric inspired his side to a final in the last edition of this tournament and has been in top form throughout this competition. Croatia is also better than Morocco at penalties and can get the better of the Atlas Lions if this game ends with spot-kicks. Backing Croatia to qualify is a value bet in this fixture.
There have been three goals or less in 83% of games involving Croatia in this competition. The Blazers aren’t a high-scoring team, and they are averaging just a goal per game. Morocco has scored fewer goals than Croatia in this competition, with five goals in six games – an average of under a goal per game. There haven’t been more than three goals in all of Morocco’s games at the FIFA World Cup 2022. The Under goal market is one of the best bet options on football online betting sites between two conservative teams.
Marcelo Brozovic picked up a muscle injury against Argentina and is expected to miss this clash against Morocco. He is the only absentee for Croatia.
Walid Regragui has a selection headache with Naif Aguerd as the West Ham Center back remains doubtful for this game.
The Qatar World Cup 2022 is coming to a close this weekend. Croatia and Morocco battle for third place at the Khalifa International Stadium. Both teams already met in this competition, and there are interesting picks in this game. You can get the best offers from this game by using our expert betting tips and sports predictions.
