Morocco vs Croatia Prediction & Betting Odds – 2022 World Cup: Who Will Win?

💯 Morocco vs Croatia Betting Odds

At this stage, it’s time to take a closer look at some of the game’s most popular football betting markets. These include the match winner, the over / under market for total goals scored and the odds on both sides to score. Here’s a breakdown of the latest 2022 football world cup odds:

🏅 Morocco vs Croatia Match Winner Odds

Morocco to Win	4.24	4.40	5.00	4.50	4.60	4.40	4.75
Croatia to Win	1.90	1.88	1.82	1.80	1.73	1.73	1.80
Draw	3.24	3.20	3.30	3.50	3.40	3.20	3.40

⚽ Morocco vs Croatia: Both Teams to Score

Yes	2.07	1.97	2.00	2.05	TBA	2.00	2.05
No	1.77	1.69	1.77	1.73	TBA	1.70	1.70

🥅 Morocco vs Croatia: Over/Under 2.5 Goals Odds

Over 2.5 Goals	2.25	2.26	2.28	2.15	TBA	2.20	2.25
Under 2.5 Goals	1.62	1.55	1.65	1.67	TBA	1.62	1.60

🏠 Morocco World Cup Preview

The Moroccan national team has endured numerous peaks and troughs through the years, starting with the country’s so-called “Golden Generation” of the mid-80s. Featuring star performers including Aziz Bouderbala, Salahdine Hmied and Mohamed Timoumi, Morocco reached three of the four World Cups contested between 1986 and 1998 and managed to reach the round of 16 once.

While the country has only reached one finals since (last time out in 2018), it’s fair to surmise that Moroccan football has enjoyed something of a renaissance since the Russia World Cup.

In fact, they’ve won the African Nations Championship in both 2018 and 2020, while reaching the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations in 2022. Their quarter-final defeat Egypt in the tournament also ended a 10-match unbeaten run dating back to September last year, while it remains one of only two defeats incurred by the side in their last 18 outings.

Impressive performances of late include a 3-0 win in Jamaica, while further friendlies against Chile and Paraguay in September will enable Morocco to continue their run of good form.

🏆 Morocco World Cup History

Morocco has only been eligible to compete in the WC since 1958, before which the nation was officially a part of France. It’s first finals appearance followed in 1970, when Morocco exited at the group stage with one draw and two defeats from three matches.

Then came 1986 and the Mexico World Cup, when Morocco’s talented side topped Group F ahead of England and Portugal. In fact, the Atlas Lions held England to a 0-0 draw, before thumping Portugal 3-1 at the Estadio Tres de Marzo in Zapopan (they were subsequently beaten 1-0 by eventual finalists Germany in the second round).

Further group stage appearances came in 1994 and 1998, with Morocco narrowly eliminated in the latter tournament despite beating Scotland 3-0 and drawing with Norway.

A period of decline followed from the turn of the century, with Morocco missing the next four World Cup finals before qualifying for Russia 2018. Here, Morocco exited a tough group featuring Spain, Portugal and Iran, although a compelling 2-2 draw with Spain in the final round of matches highlighted the quality that existed within the Moroccan squad.

✔️ Morocco Qualification and Road to the World Cup 2022

As the fifth-ranked African side, Morocco automatically qualified for the second round of CAF matches. This saw them enter Group I alongside Guinea-Bissau, Guinea and Sudan, with Morocco winning all six matches (and scoring 20 goals to one) to advance to the third and final round.

Morocco were then drawn against the ninth-ranked African side DR Congo in a two-legged play-off match, the winner of which would progress automatically to the Qatar World Cup.

After a relatively tense 1-1 draw in the away leg in Kinshasa, Morocco return to Casablanca and secured their place in the Middle East with a thumping 4-0 win. Here’s an overview of Morocco’s qualifying results:

⭐ Morocco Players to Watch

Next up, we’re going to appraise Morocco’s main players to watch in Qatar. Here are three that have caught our eye in recent times:

• Achraf Hakimi: This attacking 23-year-old full back is one of the best young players in the game, while he already has 51 international caps and eight goals to his name. Interestingly, the marauding right back’s 207 club career appearances have been spread across top European clubs including Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan and now PSG. Equally adept in a back four and as a right wing back, he retains an outstanding final ball and has an eye for goal that’s more befitting of a midfielder.
• Youssef En-Nesyri: Seville forward Youssef En-Nesyri remains one of Morocco’s most potent goal threat, having scored 14 times for his country in 48 caps. He has also enjoyed a successful club career in Europe, representing Malaga and Leganés before joining Sevilla for €20 million in the summer of 2019. He has since scored 35 goals in 113 matches for Sevilla, including one standout season in 2020/21 when the pacy forward struck 24 times in 52 games across all competitions.
• Adel Taarabt: Despite being arguably the most gifted Moroccan footballers of his generation, Adel Taarabt has still only made 30 international appearances and scored four goals at this level since 2009. Breathtakingly talented and infuriating in equal measure, Taarabt’s issues with form and fitness are legendary, but he appears to have finally settled down in Portugal with Benfica. To this end, Taarabt made 42 club appearances last season, while he has also earned five international caps through 2021 and 2022.

📰 Latest Morocco World Cup News

✈️ Croatia World Cup Preview

Between 1930 and 1990, the Croatian state was part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and only officially earned its independence in 1990 following the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

The national Croatia team subsequently began playing competitive football in 1994, before qualifying for their first major tournament at Euro ‘96 in England. What’s more, Croatia reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated by eventual winners Germany, highlighting their ability to compete at the top table of world football.

Croatia went one better during their World Cup debut, reaching the semi-finals before being edged out 2-1 by hosts (and once again, the eventual winners) France. Ever since then, Croatia have been a mainstay of WC finals, appearing in five of the subsequent six tournaments and only missing out in 2010.

Croatia are also one of the most experienced and resilient teams in Europe, having lost just one of their last 14 matches dating back to September 1st, 2021.

🏆 Croatia World Cup History

As we’ve already said, Croatia didn’t enter World Cup qualifying as an independent nation until France ‘98. However, they defied the expectations of most pundits having reached the finals, progressing to the semi-finals before losing 2-1 to France.

Croatia then endured a challenging period following the retirement of experienced stars like Robert Prosinečki, exiting at the group stage in 2002 and 2006. The side then failed to qualify for the South African World Cup in 2010, while another group state exit followed in Brazil 2014 (when Croatia one a single game against Cameroon before a 3-1 defeat to Mexico sealed their elimination).

However, as players like Luka Modric reached their peak and the side gained immense international experience, Croatia enjoyed a superb campaign at the 2018 World Cup and even reached the final against France.

Although they beat England 2-1 in a tense semi-final, a Kylian Mbappe-inspired French side was too much for Croatia, who lost 4-2 in a frenetic final match.

✔️ Croatia Qualification and Road to the World Cup 2022

Croatia followed up their final defeat in 2018 with a smooth and impressive qualification campaign for Qatar, as the side topped a challenging Group H by a single point from second-place Russia.

In doing so, they won seven and lost just one of their 10 qualifying matches, claiming a crucial 1-0 home victory against the Russians and holding their closest rivals to a 0-0 draw in Moscow.

Overall, Croatia won all but one of their five home matches, while they also earned impressive triumphs against Cyprus (3-0) and Malta (7-1) on the road. Here’s a breakdown of the team’s results:

⭐ Croatia Players to Watch

Most of Croatia’s stars are well-known, having plied their trade in Europe’s top five leagues for several years now. Below, we’ve outlined three of the nation’s best performers and their importance to the side as a whole.

• Luka Modric: Luka Modric will turn 37 just before the World Cup in Qatar, but the Real Madrid midfielder remains the heartbeat of the national side. In fact, 19 of his 152 international caps have come since the beginning of 2021, as have six of his 22 goals for his country. Modric even scored three goals during WC qualifying for Qatar, as he prepares to appear in his third World Cup finals overall. Despite his advancing years, he’ll undoubtedly be a player to watch as the tournament unfolds.
• Joško Gvardiol: The 20-year-old left-sided defender is considered to be one of the best young players in world football, with his athleticism and composure on the ball making him equally adept at both centre back and left back. Gvardiol has made his way seamlessly through Croatia’s youth levels, starting with the U-14s and culminating with the 10 senior international caps he has won so far. He currently plays for RB Leipzig in Germany, but could well be the target for some of Europe's biggest clubs if he performs to his potential in Qatar.
• Mateo Kovačić: We close with Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovačić, who has won 81 caps for his country and scored three goals in total. Now aged 28 and at his physical peak, Kovačić is blessed with excellent close control and technical skills, while he adds some much-needed dynamism to an aging midfield. The player’s club career has taken clubs like Real Madrid and Inter Milan, while featuring an impressive 463 total appearances.

📰 Latest Croatia World Cup News

🥇 Morocco vs Croatia Prediction - Who Will Win?

As we can see, Croatia are the bookmakers’ favourite to prevail against Morocco in Al Khor, with their highly talented and experienced squad boasting a clear advantage over their opponents.

However, there’s no doubt that the conditions will play into the hands of the North African side, with the 1pm local kick-off time likely to expose both teams to hot, humid and sweltering conditions in the Middle East.

Given this and the advancing age of the Croatian squad, we’re predicting Morocco to spring a surprise in their opening Group F match and potentially walk away with a narrow victory.

Our match prediction: Morocco to win.

🔍 Our Morocco vs Croatia Betting Tips?

Given that the Croatia are relatively short-price favourites, there’s little value in backing them for the win. However, underdogs Morocco over far greater value for the win at an average price of around 4.40, especially when you consider how the conditions will play in their favour.

With both sides also boasting a talented group of attacking players in their ranks, you may also find value in backing both sides to score.

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✒️ Lewis Humphries - Sports Journalist, Tipster and Betting Expert

This Morocco Vs Croatia Prediction was written by Lewis Humphries. Lewis is a business and iGaming copywriter from the UK, who has a passion for sports betting and online casino gaming. He's reviewed some of the world's leading casino platforms, while creating blog posts and landing page content for various sports betting brands.

His content has also featured on a number of different sites, including Life Hack, Investopedia, Yahoo Finance and Business Insider. He also pens regular sports features for sites including 90 Minutes, Think Football Ideas and Sports blog.