Spain vs Morocco FIFA World Cup 2018 – Lineups, Predictions & Stats Preview 25 June 2018
Spain will try and seal their spot in the Round of 16 against Morocco on 25 June. The Moroccans have only their pride to play for after loses against Iran and Portugal, but that might just not be enough to pose any threat to the momentum gathering Spaniards.
Spain Probable Lineups and Stats
Just as the first two matches, De Gea will start in as the goalkeeper. The central defence will also retain the services of Captain Ramos and Gerard Pique. Hierro will probably choose Carvajal over Nacho on the left back due to the presumptive 4-1-4-1 he might repeat in this game.
Busquets will also be retained as the sole defensive midfielder due to his linkage with Iniesta, who will play right ahead of him. Isco will start on the left wing, just like the two prior games. David Silva will play as the number 8 and compliment Diego Costa who will be pursuing goal number 5 for the team. Vazquez will complete the line-up on the right wing. Their last formation greatly improved possession by 11%. This notwithstanding, the Atlas Lions will be out to console themselves after the first two bruises.
Morocco Probable Lineups and Stats
The team of Morocco has not changed its formation, signifying the trust Renard has in the 4-2-3-1 formation. Mohamedi will start in the goal, Hakimi retained on the left while Amrabat might start as the right back. In the first match, his runs upfront improved the team’s speed and possession. In the central defence, Saiss and Benatia will match Silva’s and Costa’s aggression respectively.
Boussoufa and El Ahmadi will retain their position in the defensive midfield while Belhanda will run behind Elkaabi to get their first goal. Ziyech will start on the right wing, as opposed to the game against Portugal, to allow Harit come back to the starting line-up. Their first game was an open run, which gave them the capacity to create chances. As they are already eliminated, they will need the speed and ability to close down the possessive Spaniards.
Spain v Morocco – Head to Head
These teams have met 2 times in 1961 with Spain winning both encounters with a +1 goal difference. Their run-up to this match was not smooth for Spain, winning only 3 of their last 6 games. On the other hand, Morocco won 4 of their 6 matches upfront, of which the two they lost were in this year’s World Cup. With such a record, Morocco will be on toes to bow out with honour by registering their first win over the La Furia Roja.Expert Tip
Our experts and analysts think Spain are the favourites in this game, but the Moroccans are not to be underestimated as they were just not lucky enough to score a goal in the group phase.
In the second round of the group stage, the Spaniards had 78% ball possession, but they scored just one goal against their rivals from Iran. We expect to see a very tight game between these two teams, respectively our first tip is Under 2.5 Goals, for the bold bettors – you can try a bet HT/FT – X/1.
Interesting Facts and Information
- Spain haven’t lost in their last 22 games.
- Spain wins 1st half in 58% of their games, Morocco in 50% of their games.
- Spain’s recent performance is better than Morocco’s.
- Spain scores 3.17 goals when playing at home and Morocco scores 1.17 goals when playing away (on average).
- Morocco has streak of 2 matches with 0 scored goals.
- When Spain leads 1-0 at home, they win in 83% of their games.
- When Morocco leads 0-1 away, they win in 100% of their games.
- When Morocco is down 1-0 away, they win 50% of their games.
- Spain have scored at least one goal for 22 consecutive games.
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