Croatia v Morocco World Cup Third Place Playoff Betting Guide

Who Will Be Crowned the Third Best Team?

Croatia – The Brazil Destroyers

‘Vatreni’ were unfortunate to miss out on the World Cup final having reached the grand stage only four years ago. In the 2018 Russia World Cup, the Croatian national team defeated England in the semi-finals. The victory meant Croatia would play France in the final, only to lose by four goals to two.

In the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Croatia were one of the most impressive teams in the tournament. They were drawn in the same group as their third-place playoff opponents, Morocco. Group F consisted of Croatia, Morocco, Belgium and Canada. The Croatian national team advanced to the knockout stages of the tournament in second place, following two nil-nil draws with Morocco and Belgium and a 4-1 win over Canada.

In the round of 16, Croatia was drawn against Japan, who had won Group E. Vatreni fell behind but equalized through Tottenham Hotspur veteran Ivan Perišić. The game went to penalties, where Croatia advanced thanks to the heroics of Dominik Livaković.

Having defeated Japan, Vatreni had a far greater test in the quarterfinals. They were playing against Brazil, the outright favourites to win the World Cup. After a goalless 90 minutes, Brazil scored the first goal in extra time through Neymar. However, with only a few minutes left to play, Bruno Petković equalized for Croatia to set up another penalty shootout. Yet again, the Croatian goalkeeper came up with the goods as Croatia knocked out Brazil.

Having reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in consecutive tournaments, Croatia was playing against Argentina. In the 2018 World Cup, Croatia finished as runners-up. In the previous Brazil World Cup of 2014, Argentina were the runners-up. Both teams have had a recent history of reaching the latter stages of the tournament but not winning the trophy. On the day, Argentina was the superior team, demolishing Croatia 3-0. Two of the goals were scored by Julian Alvarez and it was Lionel Messi who scored the opener.

Morocco – The Surprise of the Tournament

‘The Atlas Lions’ were the other underdog team to accomplish the unthinkable in the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Morocco became the first African and Arabic nation to ever reach the semi-finals of the World Cup. Their impressive record included topping Group F, which featured their final opponents.

In the group stage, Morocco played out a nil-nil draw with Croatia before defeating Belgium 2-0 and Canada 2-1. The two victories and a draw meant that the Atlas Lions finished in first with seven points. In the round of 16, Morocco was drawn against Spain, who finished second in Group E. The match remained a goalless tie and it was eventually decided on penalties. In the penalty shootout, Moroccan goalkeeper, Bono, kept out all three of the Spanish spot kicks. Similarly, Morocco converted their penalties to win the shootout 3-0. The result meant Morocco would advance to the quarterfinals, where they had a difficult tie against Portugal.

The Portuguese national football team had battered Switzerland in the round of 16. They managed to win their match by six goals to one. Furthermore, Gonçalo Ramos scored a hattrick. That did not faze the concentration of the Moroccan national team, who managed to defeat Portugal with a towering header from Youssef En-Nesyri. The lone goal was enough to defeat Portugal 1-0 and send Morocco to their first ever semi-final.

Unfortunately for the Atlas Lions, their fairy tale campaign came to an end at the feet of the French national team. ‘Les Bleus’ defeated Morocco by two goals to nil in the semi-final. However, the Moroccan national team will still have the chance to make some history for Africa by becoming the first to win a third-place medal.

Current Odds at mr.play

At mr.play sportsbook, the current odds are slightly in favour of Croatia defeating Morocco. The Croatian national team are given odds 2.23 to win whilst Morocco is listed with odds 2.99 to win. A draw would pay 3.35 times your stake.

If you do not wish to bet on the result, there are many other betting markets. For instance, both teams scoring offers odds of 1.61 whilst the odds of under 2.5 goals are 1.97.

It is also possible to bet on double chance markets such as Croatia winning or drawing for odds of 1.36. The odds of Morocco winning or drawing are 1.61 whilst the odds of either Croatia or Morocco winning are 1.30.

Team Overview & Player Profiles

Croatia – Luke Modrić

The standout player in the Croatian national team is Luka Modrić. At 37-years-old, this appears to be the last ever appearance for the Vatreni captain. Modrić currently plays for Real Madrid and won the Balon D’or in 2018. He has been as consistent as they come at the World Cup. If his team stands a chance of winning, Modrić will be instrumental in delivering the third-place medal.

Morocco - Achraf Hakimi

The Atlas Lion that has been at the pinnacle of his teams’ success is Achraf Hakimi. The young Paris Saint Germain full-back has shown a great desire and leadership in his performances. In the penalty win over Spain, Hakimi scored the winning penalty with a cool ‘panenka’ chip. Although he is only 24 years old, the Moroccan right back has proved to be one of the most skilful and competitive players in his national team.

Head-to-Head

The only time that these two nations have ever played against each other is in the group stage of the current World Cup. The opening fixture for both of these teams ended as a nil-nil draw. Although Croatia had the better chances, Morocco ended up finishing first from the group. As both teams have already played each other, perhaps the fixture will be slightly more open, with goals galore on either side. It would be a fitting end to the Croatian and Moroccan World Cup campaigns, as both teams will have done their countries proud.