Surprise 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia, led by Golden Ball winner Luka Modric, will look to storm the world yet again as they take on Morocco in Group F play.
Croatia pipped Argentina to the top of Group D, and then toppled Denmark, Russia, and England to reach the 2018 final.
This year, they'll look to begin a new journey against a Morocco side that slumped out of the Africa Cup of Nations in the quarterfinals back in February.
Still, the Atlas Lions passed a number of their pre-World Cup tests. Morocco took care of Georgia and Chile in pre-World Cup friendlies, plus a draw with Paraguay and defeat to the United States in the tournament run-up.
MORE: Morocco vs. Croatia live: World Cup score, highlights, result from 2022 Group F match
Morocco vs. Croatia odds
Croatia are about even-money favorites to win the match, with Morocco given a fighting chance.
All unders at the World Cup are juiced, with teams expected to play defensively and look to stay alive in the group stage. Still, both these teams are capable of scoring goals, as Morocco put up five combined on Chile and Georgia in the warm-up friendlies, while Croatia have scored in six straight matches.
Odds via BetMGM (USA), Sports Interaction (Canada), SkyBet (UK), and LadBrokes (Australia).
| BetMGM | Sports Interaction | SkyBet | LadBrokes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morocco win | +300 | 4.10 | 29/10 | 14/5 |
| Draw | +220 | 3.36 | 11/5 | 21/10 |
| Croatia win | +100 | 1.86 | 21/20 | 11/10 |
| Both teams to score Y / N | +105 / -145 | 1.99 / 1.65 | 1/1, 8/11 | 21/20, 8/11 |
| Over / Under 2.5 goals | +125 / -185 | 2.32 / 1.54 | 11/8, 8/15 | 27/20, 8/15 |
| Croatia -0.5 | -110 | 1.99 | — | — |
| Morocco +0.5 | -130 | 1.76 | — | — |
MORE: Follow all 2022 FIFA World Cup daily picks & predictions from The Sporting News here
Morocco vs. Croatia: 3 things to know
Morocco vs. Croatia team news
Morocco are without Barcelona youngster Ez Abde and Tarik Tissoudali due to injury, while Marseille forward Amine Harit cruelly misses out as well after being stretchered off in the final club match before the World Cup. Youssef En-Nesyri, however, is fit after recovering from a hamstring injury, although his club form has been poor this season so far.
Midfielder Marcelo Brozovic returned from injury to feature in Inter's final match before the club break, indicating he's ready to go for Croatia. So too is captain Domagoj Vida, who shook off a muscle injury to earn his 100th cap against Saudi Arabia in the pre-World Cup friendly.
MORE: Full injury tracker for all 32 teams at the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Morocco vs. Croatia key stats
- Morocco and Croatia have met just once before, in a 1996 winter friendly that finished 2-2, with three of the four goals scored in the first 21 minutes. For some reason, the friendly went to a penalty shootout, which Croatia won 7-6.
- At this year's Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco created 11.2 expected goals while conceding just 2.87. They lost to a defensive-minded Egypt in the quarterfinals in extra time.
- Croatia defender Josko Gvardiol completed more dribbles than any other center-back in Europe's top five leagues in 2021/22.
Morocco vs. Croatia match facts
- Date: Wednesday, November 23
- Kickoff Time: 5:00 am ET / 10:00 am GMT / 9:00 am AEST
- Location: Al Bayt Stadium
- Official: Fernando Rapallini (Argentina)
Morocco vs. Croatia prediction
- Moneyline lean: Draw (+220)
- Against the spread lean: Morocco +0.5 (-130)
- Score prediction: Morocco 0-0 Croatia
Both these teams have excellent qualities throughout their squads, but the talent that most stands out is on the defensive end.
Croatia will possess the ball, but they've struggled to create heaps of chances in recent Nations League play, and they will have trouble with an organized Morocco back line.
The Atlas Lions, meanwhile, are poor finishers, proven by their Africa Cup of Nations exploits where they scored just eight goals on 11.2 xG, including the 2-1 defeat to Egypt where they created loads of opportunities and failed to score. Even if they find themselves with a few good shouts in front of goal here, they will struggle to put the ball in the back of the net.
Morocco vs. Croatia: best bet
- Pick: Morocco +0.5
- Odds: -130 (BetMGM)
While Croatia will possess the majority of the ball, Morocco are a side that oozes talent. In what should be a defensive battle, the Atlas Lions will be a handful to deal with.
Taking underdogs Morocco to pull out a result and set Croatia on their way to group stage elimination is a smart play here. While Luka Modric is still a top player, the attacking options around him are not quite worthy of breaking down this Moroccan side.
Of the five World Cup runners-up since 2002, one failed to reach the knockout stage in the subsequent tournament, one was eliminated in the Round of 16, and two finished third. Croatia will have their work cut out for them to buck the trend.
