World Cup 2022 

Round of 16, Match 7- MOR vs SPN

Preview

The 7th match in the Round of 16 will witness a battle between Spain and Morocco. On one side, there is a team of youths who are reluctant to lose and on the other side, there is an African dark horse who are turning the tables every now and then in this World Cup.

Spain finished in the second position in Group E after a shocking upset against Japan in their final group-stage encounter. Spain has one of the best squads in this edition of the World Cup and will surely be determined on advancing to the next round. 

Morocco, on the other hand, have done more than what was expected. They managed to top Group F. The Achraf Hakimi-led side defeated Canada 2-1 to cruise into the knockout stages of the competition for the second time since 1986. 

Spain has an outstanding record against Morocco and has come out victorious in two out of three games played between the two teams, while the other one ended in a tie. The last time they met was in the group stages of the World Cup 2018 and that very encounter ended in a 2-2 draw. La Furia Roja have never lost an official match against Morocco and in the 1961 World Cup Qualifiers, they won their first two against the African side.

Russia knocked out Spain in the same stage of the competition in 2018 and they haven’t managed to qualify for the quarterfinals since the year, 2010. The same year they went on to win the World Cup.  

As said earlier, Morocco got into the Round of 16 for the second time in history. Their last appearance in 1986 ended in a defeat against Germany by a 1-0 margin. 

Spain are currently on a five-game unbeaten streak in group stages against teams from the African continent and now they are all set to face Morocco in the knock-out stages of the World Cup 2022. 

Match Details

Match: Round of 16, Match 7- MOR vs SPN  

Date: 6th December 2022

Time: 08:30 PM  

Venue: Education City Stadium 

Key Players

MOR: Hakim Ziyech has become the only Morocco player to have both assisted and scored (1 goal, 1 assist) at the World Cup 2022. He is also the only player from his country to have the most shots (6) and the most chances created (4) in football’s ultimate stage. 

SPN: Alvaro Morata has successfully scored in Spain’s last four games, scoring four goals, and out of them, three goals have been netted from six shots attempted at the World Cup 2022.

Possible Starting XIs

MOR: Bono, Hakimi, Saiss, Aguerd, Mazraoui, Ounahi, Amrabat, Sahiri, Ziyech, En-Nesyri, Boufal 

SPN: Simon, Carvajal, Rodri, Laporte, Alba, Pedri, Busquets, Gavi, Torres, Morata, Olmo

Match Prediction

Spain has a squad blend of talented young footballers and experienced professionals. This pool of talented players through their performance have the possibility to claim the prestigious silverware this year. 

Hakimi and co. stunned World No.2 Belgium in the group stage and are capable of pulling off a huge upset in this match. However, we know that Spain are a better team on pen and paper and are the favourites to win this match. 

Morocco1-3 Spain

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