Morocco – Portugal

We can hardly expect many goals in this match

Morocco were the discovery of the 2022 World Cup. The team finished first in their group, ahead of Croatia and Belgium. Then, in the 1/8 finals, the Moroccans unexpectedly defeated Spain on penalties, showing a great game organisation for 120 minutes. The Moroccans will try to surprise the football world again in the quarter-final duel with Portugal. Portugal drew level with Switzerland in the 1/8 finals of the World Cup. However, after the final whistle, the public did not discuss the 6-1 defeat, or even Gonçalo Ramos' hat-trick, but rather the failure to include Cristiano Ronaldo in the starting line-up. The big question now is whether the star forward will start against Morocco. Without Ronaldo, the Portuguese showed an excellent game on Tuesday night. The media had previously reported that Cristiano had a row with the national team manager and threatened to leave the national team. But will it make Portugal any weaker? Morocco and Portugal have played two matches against each other. Both matches were played at the World Cups. In 1986, the Moroccans won (3-1) and in 2018, the Portuguese won (1-0). In both cases, the teams crossed paths in the group stage. It is worth noting that the Moroccan team have conceded just one goal in their last 8 games. The Portuguese have conceded in 10 of their last 12 matches at the World Cup. What to expect from the upcoming clash? Morocco were regarded as the clear underdogs against Spain. But the Moroccans showed great consistency in defence, which prevented their opponents from attacking effectively. The Spaniards shot into the Moroccan goal just twice in 120 minutes of play. The Portuguese were predicted to qualify for the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Qatar, but few expected such open play from Fernando Santos and such poor defensive play from the Swiss team. Against Morocco, the Portuguese will have a much tougher time hitting their opponents' goals. The Moroccans have played great defensively at the World Cup in Qatar and have not conceded a single goal against the likes of Croatia, Belgium and Spain. The betting odds in this situation are that no more than two goals will be scored in regulation time.