Portugal VS Morocco Match Prediction
2018-06-20
12:00:00
Portugal
VS
Morocco
Our Prediction Tip
Portugal will win this match.
2018-06-2012:00:00 Portugal will win this match.
This will be just the second time Portugal and Morocco have ever met, with their other match also taking place at the World Cup back in 1986. On that occasion, Morocco emerged as 3-1 winners to finish top of the group and knock Portugal out.
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- Cristiano Ronaldo’s next international goal will see him go clear in second on the all-time list of international goals – only Iranian striker Ali Daei has scored more times in international football.
- Morocco’s defeat to Iran in the opening group game was their first in 19 matches.
- European champions Portugal have not lost in a major tournament in 90 minutes since their opening-game defeat against Germany at the last World Cup – a run of 13 games across the last two World Cups, Euro 2016 and last summer’s Confederations Cup.
- Morocco are the only African team to have beaten Portugal at the World Cup – since their 1986 loss, the European side have beaten Angola and Ghana and drawn with the Ivory Coast.
Portugal’s star man delivered in their opening game against Spain and now Cristiano Ronaldo and his team-mates will hope to kick on from their late equaliser in that 3-3 draw when they face a dispirited Morocco side in their second game.
Morocco’s unbeaten run was not only ended in their opening match against Iran, but it was ended in cruel fashion – a 95th-minute own goal helping Iran upset the odds.
While Morocco usually boast a tight defence, Ronaldo has clearly arrived at the World Cup in scintillating form – determined to prove himself on the biggest of stage once and for all. With Bernardo Silva, Goncalo Guedes and even substitute Andre Silva all to fall back on, the Portuguese have the players to unpick Morocco’s defence.
Morocco created few clear-cut chances against Iran, and paid the penalty for that – a similarly below-par performance against Portugal and it will not take a stoppage-time winner to decide this tie.
Portugal essentially have to beat Morocco and Iran by more than Spain manage in order to top the group now, so they not only need to win but win well too.
Ronaldo’s goals did have a touch of fortune about them – two set pieces (including a penalty) and a goalkeeping error – but Morocco gave up chances against Iran and will likely do so again against the Portuguese too.
The morale blow inflicted by Iran’s late winner should not be underestimated either – Morocco were favourites and not only did they fail to deliver but they lost at the death too.
Portugal can take full advantage on Wednesday now, and ignite their charge for top spot in Group B.
Portugal are odds-on to beat Morocco in their Group B clash, with Betfair offering 8/13 on the Portuguese grabbing a vital three points.
After Morocco failed to impress up front in their opening game, meanwhile, you can get 3/4 betting against both teams to score, and a Portugal win to nil improves your odds to 7/5 with Bet365, Ladbrokes and Betway.
Cristiano Ronaldo took just four minutes to open the scoring in Portugal’s first game, and a Portugal/Portugal pick for half-time/full-time will return 31/20 with Ladbrokes.
Unsurprisingly, after his heroics against Spain, Cristiano Ronaldo is odds-on to score at any time against Morocco – but the best price of 28/29 with 888sport is generous. Striker Goncalo Guedes is 23/10 with Betfair and Paddy Power, meanwhile.
1) Portugal to win to nil at 7/5 with Betway
2) Half-time/full-time = “Portugal/Portgual” at 31/20 with Ladbrokes
3) Cristiano Ronaldo to score at any time at 28/29 with 888sports
Late goals in each of their respective first fixtures have had a telling effect on this game. Portugal’s late equaliser against Spain will spur them on but Morocco’s late defeat to Iran was a crushing blow. Cristiano Ronaldo and co should take advantage.
Portugal made just one change to the team which started their final warm-up match against Algeria – Jose Fonte replacing Bruno Alves in central defence. They could be unchanged from the Spain game to face Morocco despite Ricardo Quaresma and Joao Mario stepping off the bench on the wings in the last game. Goncalo Guedes’ two goals earned him his place up front alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, and he his set to keep Andre Silva out of the side again against Morocco.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s 151st Portugal appearance proved to be another memorable night for the World Footballer of the Year. His 82nd, 83rd and 84th international goals took him level with Ferenc Puskas for international goalscoring, and continued the fine form he had shown in scoring 44 in 44 for Champions League winners Real Madrid last season. Goncalo Guedes scored when Portugal team last faced African opposition – netting twice in the 3-0 win against Algeria on the eve of the World Cup.
Portugal 3-3 Spain
A thrilling match against neighbours Spain lived up to its billing as the tie of the first round of fixtures, with Cristiano Ronaldo stealing the headlines for Portugal. His early penalty – after he had been fouled – gave Portugal the lead, and he restored that advantage thanks to a huge goalkeeping error on the stroke of half-time after Spain had levelled midway through the first half. Two goals in four minutes for Spain looked to have turned the tie on its head, but Ronaldo stepped up to curl in an 88th-minute free-kick to complete his hat-trick and ensure a point for both teams.
Portugal’s 3-3 draw with Spain their opening fixture was their third in four matches. They threw away a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 with Tunisia in the first of those – Andre Silva and Joao Mario scoring – before a goalless draw with Belgium. They beat Algeria 3-0 in their final pre-tournament friendly – Goncalo Guedes’ double earning him a starting spot in the team – before Ronaldo’s stunning hat-trick earned Portugal a point in their World Cup opener against Spain.
Ayoub El Kaabi was preferred to Khalid Boutaib up front against Iran but could not add to his 11 international goals on his 11th appearance for the national team. Hamza Mendyl also missed out, with Nordin Amrabat used in a deeper role and Achraf Hakimi swapping to left-back – as they had done against Estonia in Morocco’s final warm-up match. Mendyl could return in place of Amine Harit, however, if Herve Renard opts to shuffle his pack.
Hakim Ziyech’s next goal will be his tenth for Morocco football team, with the match against Portugal set to be his 20th international appearance. In front of him, Ayoub El Kaabi has scored 11 goals in 11 international games. At the back, Morocco’s usually tight defence is built around experienced captain Medhi Benatia.
Morocco 0-1 Iran
Having had more possession and created more chances, a sloppy free-kick conceded in stoppage time saw Morocco concede a late winner – an Aziz Bouhaddouz own goal – in their opening game against Iran. A match short on clear-cut chances had otherwise been limping towards a bore draw before the dramatic late twist.
Iran ended Morocco’s 18-match unbeaten run in their opening World Cup game, after they had gone 12 months without defeat before that. In their warm-up matches for the World Cup, Morocco drew 0-0 with Ukraine and then beat Slovakia and Estonia. They could not take their form into the tournament, however, as they crashed to their dramatic late defeat to Iran.
European champions Portugal and African qualifiers Morocco meet in Group B of the 2018 World Cup at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium in their second group game of the tournament. Both sides are looking for their first wins in Russia after Portugal drew 3-3 with Spain on the opening day and Morocco lost to Iran. Taking place on Wednesday June 20, the live action kicks off at 3pm local time.
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