Ahead of the World Cup final awaited by many, Croatia and Morocco will battle it out for the third place
Croatia will battle Morocco for third place in the World Cup
The FIFA World Cup 2022 has been a roller-coaster ride for football fans. After almost a month of nail-biting matches, the tournament has found finalists in Argentina and France. However, before the two giants play each other at the Lusail stadium in Doha, Qatar, semi-finalists Croatia and Morocco will battle it out for third place.
Both teams missed out on winning the prestigious tournament. While that will sting, finishing third in football’s most coveted competition is not bad. Especially when many did not consider both teams to reach where they have. At the start of the tournament, Croatia and Morocco were never favorites to be in the final four. However, by displaying quality football, both teams proved the doubters wrong. Beating some big names, they reached the semi-finals. Despite not continuing the journey from there, both Croatia and Morocco have a lot to play for.
The matchup between the two teams will be amazing to watch. In fact, this won’t be the first time Croatia and Morocco will face each other in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Both teams previously met in the opening fixture of their World Cup campaign. However, they couldn’t come to terms with a result. Despite giving it their all on the pitch, Croatia and Morocco settled for a 0-0 draw. Since then, the teams witnessed a lot of character, triumphed over adversity, and clinched victory with open arms.
Considering there is a score to settle from the group stages, the match between Croatia and Morocco will be interesting. While both teams are full of talented players, the do-or-die mentality instilled in the squad makes the difference. With both teams eager to end their World Cup campaign on a high, Croatia vs Morocco will be interesting to follow.
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The third-place match in the World Cup will be a beautiful build-up to for the Finals
Before football fans are treated to a mouth-watering match between Argentina and France in the finals, the game between Croatia and Morocco will serve as the perfect appetizer. Why? It’s simple. Both teams boast a huge pool of talent that has displayed an exciting brand of football throughout the entire competition. The performances from Croatia and Morocco have earned them laurels. On Saturday, they will look to prove why they deserve praise.
When it comes to Morocco, the team will look to display the form it has produced against some of the biggest names in world football. Boasting talented players such as Achraf Hakimi, Hakim Ziyech, and Youssef En-Nesyri, Morocco knocked out Spain and Portugal from the tournament. Banking on the abilities of such players, Morocco will look to display an exciting brand of football while also exploiting the defense of Croatia.
On the other hand, the game against the Atlas Lions is an important one for Croatia. After being humiliated by Argentina, the European team will look to bounce back and end the tournament on a high. While Croatia has a strong goalkeeper and a tight defense, the focal point of their play remains the midfield consisting of Luka Modric, Marcelo Brozovic, and Mateo Kovacic. The three midfield masters will look to provide Croatia with an early start while also helping out in defense.
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On paper, both teams have some of the most talented players football has seen. On Saturday, talent alone won’t work. Morocco and Croatia will have to dig deep to get a head start over. Along with going deep, mentality also will be a factor in determining who walks out third between the two teams. While a lot can be said and written about the game, only time will tell who will be the victor. Over to the third-place match on Saturday at the Khalifa Stadium.
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Varun Anand Bhat
(106 Articles Published)