In the third-placed playoff that will take place on Saturday at the Khalifa International Stadium, Croatia vs Morocco will compete for the chance to earn a bronze medal for the World Cup 2022. Neither team should turn their noses up at the opportunity to earn a podium finish on the world’s biggest stage.
Croatia vs Morocco will meet for third place in the World Cup. France won their semi-final match against Morocco 2-0, and Argentina won their match against Croatia thanks to a goal from Lionel Messi. France won 2-0 over Morocco in the other semi-final matchup.
Even one of the most sought-after defenders in Europe was no match for a 35-year-old Lionel Messi. Very few attackers have gone face to face with the masked warrior that is Josko Gvardiol and gotten the better of the RB Leipzig teenager.
Messi scored the opening goal of Argentina’s semi-final match against Croatia from the penalty spot. This was followed by Julian Alvarez’s solo run, which brought La Albiceleste their second goal, albeit with some slices of good fortune after a couple of ricochets. Messi then proceeded to humiliate a man who was 15 years his junior.
There was nothing lucky about Argentina’s third goal, as Messi rolled back the years on the right-hand side before picking out Alvarez to tap home Argentina’s third and deny Croatia a second consecutive appearance at a World Cup final – this time against France, no less. Argentina’s third goal also denied France a chance to play in the 2018 World Cup final.
They are not complete novices in bronze medal matches, as they defeated the Netherlands 2-1 in the 1998 third-placed playoff during their inaugural World Cup campaign. Dalic’s side accomplished the remarkable feat of reaching both the 2018 final and the semi-finals of the 2022 edition without winning a knockout game in normal time. The 2022 edition will take place in Qatar.
The fact that the third-placed playoff has never been decided on penalty kicks will not come as a relief to Croatia, a team that has repeatedly demonstrated its superiority in extra time periods and penalty shootouts. On the other hand, the uninhibited Morocco fanbase will undoubtedly continue to bang their drums to the maximum for one last ride.
How to watch Croatia vs Morocco Live
When is the play-off for third place going to take place?
Saturday, December 17, will be the day when Khalifa International Stadium plays host to the play-off for third place.
When is Croatia vs Morocco going to start?
The match will begin at three o’clock in the afternoon, which is the ideal time for viewers in the UK.
Recent Croatia vs Morocco Team News
Croatia’s midfield fulcrum Marcelo Brozovic was forced to leave the field in the 50th minute of their semi-final match against Argentina due to discomfort, and he is regarded as a major doubt for the third-placed playoff match. This injury added injury to insult for Croatia, who ultimately lost the match.
Gvardiol, a twenty-year-old center back, needed injections to play through the pain of a foot injury in midweek. Dalic has insisted that he will not risk any player who is not 100% fit, so Lovro Majer and Kristijan Jakic should be ready to cover for Brozovic in the middle if it is necessary.
Ivan Perisic should keep his place on the left as he strives to become Croatia’s all-time leading goalscorer at the World Cup. The Tottenham Hotspur man is currently tied with Davor Suker on six goals scored at the World Cup. Another highly-rated center back named Josip Sutalo could take the place of Gvardiol.
As for Morocco, Regragui remarkably recovered all of Aguerd, Mazraoui, and Saiss for their semi-final, but the wounded triad slipped out one by one – in the instance of Aguerd, just before the first whistle sounded – and Morocco lost.
Read more: FIFA World Cup 2022: Live Stream, Preview, How to watch, Fixture, and Everything you need to know.
Saiss was also taken out of the game after 20 minutes after being outpaced by Olivier Giroud, and Mazraoui was taken out of the game during the half-time break, leaving Regragui in the same position on the injury front as he was when the game began, despite the fact that the severity of their injuries is currently unknown.
It is impossible to imagine Regragui putting any one of the three players at danger for Saturday’s match, therefore it is possible that a switch back to the 4-3-3 formation will be necessary as Yahia Attiyat Allah and Selim Amallah try to earn starting positions for the team again.
