Tournament | FIFA World Cup 2022 |
Timetable | Tuesday 6th of December at 15:00 GMT |
Prediction | Spain to Win! |
Odds | Spain to Win @ 1.57 |
Bookmaker | TonyBet Sports |
18+ | 1st depositors only. Use promo code H30 to qualify. Min £10/€10 stake, min odds 1/2, free bets paid as 2 x £15/€15, free bets credited after settlement of first qualifying bet, free bets will expire 30 days after the qualifying bet is placed. | Payment method limitations, country & wagering req. exist | Cashed out/voided bets do not qualify | Play Responsibly | Terms and Conditions apply. http://www.begambleaware.org
On December 6th at 15:00 GMT, North African side Morocco will take on European giants in the seventh and penultimate round of 16 clash at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Surprisingly, it’s Morocco who enter the second-round match as group winners, having topped Pool F ahead of 2018 finalists Croatia and the world’s second ranked side Belgium.
Conversely, Spain’s shock 2-1 defeat to Japan left them in second place in Group E, as they ultimately edged out four-time winners Germany by virtue of their superior goal difference having thrashed Costa Rica 7-0 in their opening finals match.
This is a fascinating clash, and one that should be played in front of a full house at the Education City Stadium. But will Spain deliver on their status as FIFA World Cup Betting favourites, or can Morocco continue their fairy tale run?
💯 Morocco vs Spain Betting Odds
Before we take a closer look at what each has to offer, we thought we’d review the main betting markets associated with this match. These include match betting, backing both sides to score and the over/under market for total goals scored, with out recommended sportsbooks offering all of these options and more!
🏅 Morocco vs Spain Odds: Match Winner
We’ll start with the match betting Morocco vs Spain odds, which are constantly being updated as the kick-off draws near. Below, you’ll find the very latest, real-time odds available through our recommended betting sites.
Morocco to Win | 7.20 | 7.00 | 7.00 | 6.50 | 6.50 | 6.00 | 7.00 |
Spain to Win | 1.57 | 1.57 | 1.57 | 1.55 | 1.50 | 1.50 | 1.53 |
Draw | 3.80 | 3.80 | 3.80 | 3.75 | 3.70 | 3.50 | 3.80 |
⚽ Morocco vs Spain Odds: Both Teams to Score
You can also wager on both sides to score (or not) in this round of 16 clash, with this even money bet particularly popular during typically tight knockout encounters. Here’s the latest prices:
Yes | 2.38 | 2.40 | 2.38 | 2.15 | 2.15 | 2.25 | 2.25 |
No | 1.67 | 1.67 | 1.62 | 1.62 | 1.65 | 1.57 | 1.60 |
🥅 Morocco vs Spain Odds: Over/Under 2.5 Goals
There’s also an over/under market for the total number of goals scored, across both the 90 minutes and extra-time if necessary. Obviously, the chance of extra-time creates more playing time and a higher chance of there being over 2.5 goals scored, but let’s take a look at the latest odds!
Over 2.5 Goals | 2.30 | 2.30 | 2.25 | 2.15 | 2.20 | 2.20 | 2.10 |
Under 2.5 Goals | 1.67 | 1.67 | 1.67 | 1.62 | 1.65 | 1.60 | 1.67 |
🏠 Morocco Preview
When 22nd ranked Morocco were drawn into Group F at the FIFA World Cup, few gave them a realistic chance of qualifying ahead of UEFA sides Belgium and Croatia.
After all, Belgium and their so-called “golden generation” were ranked second in the world by FIFA as recently as October, while Croatia’s experienced and technically superb squad finished as runners-up in the 2018 iteration of the tournament.
However, Morocco brought intensity and commitment to the tournament from the first whistle against the Croatians, largely dominating their opening match as they secured an impressive 0-0 draw. Then came a superb 2-0 win over the Belgians, with the North African side scoring two late goals against their lacklustre and toothless opposition.
Morocco, roared on by their vociferous support, subsequently secured top spot in the group with a 2-1 win over Canada, ensuring that Belgium were eliminated from the tournament in the process.
📰 Latest Morocco World Cup News
Tweets by EnMaroc☍ Spain Preview
Spain kicked off the tournament as the top ranked side in Group E, with the seventh best team in the world widely expected to qualify for the round of 16 alongside fellow UEFA heavyweights Germany.
However, Group E proved to be the most wild and unpredictable of the entire tournament, although Spain launched their own campaign with a stunning 7-0 demolition of Costa Rica at the Al Thumama Stadium.
A tense but high quality 1-1 draw then followed against Germany, as Alvaro Morata scored his second goal of the tournament. This point left Spain in pole position to qualify for the knockout stages, as a draw against Japan would have been enough to secure one of the top two spots in the group.
Then came a wild final round of matches, as Japan recovered from another first half Morata goal to beat the Spaniards to 2-1 at the Khalifa International Stadium. At one stage, Costa Rica even led Germany 2-1 in the other Group E game, meaning that both the four-time winners and Spain would have been eliminated in a seismic shock.
However, the Germans recovered to win 4-2, and while this wasn’t enough to save their own World Cup campaign, it ensured that Spain finished second in the group and limped into the round of 16.
📰 Latest Spain World Cup News
Tweets by SEFutbol🟨 The Latest Injury News and Suspensions
Neither side have any players suspended for this intriguing round of 16 clash, while there are no new injury concerns to report either at the time of writing.
This means that Morocco will most likely stick with the starting 11 that largely secured the team’s place in the round of 16, including star players such as Hakim Ziyech, Achraf Hakimi and Wolves’ towering centre back Romain Saïss.
Both Ziyech and Hakimi were withdrawn during the 2-1 win over Canada that assured Morocco top spot in Group F, so Walid Regragui’s team should be raring to go against their more illustrious opponents in Al Rayyan.
Interestingly, Luis Enrique rested many of his key players from the start during their final group stage match against Japan, although this move arguably backfired as Spain slumped to a 2-1 defeat.
This meant that stars including Ferran Torres, Marco Asensio, Jordi Alba and Dani Carvajal were called upon from the bench in the second half, so they may not be as rested as they otherwise might have been.
This quartet is also sure to be restored to the starting 11 against Morocco, while Morata is also expected to keep his place having scored three goals during the group stages.
🏆 Key Matchups
Morocco have played with incredible intensity and aggressive throughout the tournament, and they’re sure to force themselves into the faces of their Spanish opponents from the outset here.
They’ll also focus on winning their numerous individual duals all over the pitch, but which battles are likely to be most influence at the Education City Stadium? Let’s get into it!
Youssef En-Nesyri vs Aymeric Laporte
Spain’s preferred central defensive pairing features Manchester City duo Aymeric Laporte and Rodri, the latter of which usually plies his trade as a defensive midfielder.
In this match, they’ll come up against the tall and talented Youssef En-Nesyri, who leads Morocco’s attacking line with distinction and has 16 goals in 53 international caps. It’s likely that Laporte will take responsibility for marking En-Nesyri, especially as he’s a specialist central defender who combines strength and pace in equal measure.
For En-Nesyri, he’ll most likely look to pull onto the shoulder of Rodri where he can, looking to isolate the midfielder-cum-defender as often as possible and threaten the space in behind Spain’s high defensive line.
This will be key to sustaining counterattacks and threatening the Spanish defence, which looked vulnerable when put under pressure by Japan’s pace and movement last time out.
Roman Saiss vs Alvaro Morata
The aforementioned Saiss is a physically dominant defender, and one who looks to impose his height and strength at both ends of the pitch.
He’ll need all of his aerial ability to deal with the exceptional Morata, who is among the joint-top scorers at the FIFA World Cup and has extended his international record to 30 goals in 60 caps. He’s also exceptional in the air, while his intuitive movement enables him to find space in and around the penalty area.
Morota’s instinctive forward movement could pose an issue to Saiss, who isn’t the most mobile player and may struggle to cope if Spain are able to dominate possession high up the pitch.
For Saiss, he’ll want his defensive line to play as high as possible, in order to press Spain and compact the midfield while forcing their opponents to retain the ball much deeper.
Sofyan Amrabat vs Pedri
The 26-year-old midfielder Sofyan Amrabat has been a consistent performer throughout the finals so far, providing a solid defensive foundation for his more creative teammates to perform on.
Now with 42 caps to his name, Amrabat also plays with increased authority and positional awareness in the middle of the park, and there’s no doubt that he’ll need all of this to minimise space in the midfield and prevent flair players like Pedri and Gavi from getting on the ball.
This is easier said than done, particularly given Spain’s technical brilliant and constant rotation of ball and players.
For Amrabat, positional awareness and remaining close to his fellow midfielder will be key, while he’ll have to get tight to Pedri and Gavi where possible while looking to track their regular breaks into the final third.
⚡ Morocco vs Spain – The Head-to-Head Statistics
Morocco and Spain have played each other three times in their illustrious histories, with the Spanish unbeaten in this rivalry with two wins and a draw to their name.
Interestingly, the first two matches took place in an 11-day period in November 1961, as Morocco and Spain faced off against one another in an Africa-Europe Group Final for the 1962 FIFA World Cup.
A goal from Del Sol secured the Spain a crucial 1-0 in the first leg in Casablanca, before edging a 3-2 thriller in the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid to secure the nation a place at the WC finals.
However, Morocco can draw some solace from their last meeting with Spain, which took place in Group B at the FIFA World Cup in 2018. Here, the two teams played out an exciting and keenly contested 2-2 draw as Spain secured qualification to the knockout stage, while Morocco were eliminated in front of a 33,973 crowd in Kaliningrad.
🥇 Morocco vs Spain Prediction - Who Will Win?
According to analysis of recent form and bookmaker odds, Spain have a win probability in this match of 43.49%. Conversely, a Morocco win has an implied probability of 30.18%, while the draw (during 90 minutes) has a 26.3% chance of occurring from a statistical perspective.
The odds seem to bare this out, with Spain clearly boasting the superior playing squad and much greater pedigree at World Cup finals. However, the 2010 winners have struggled to make their mark in subsequent tournaments, being eliminated in the group stage as holders in 2014 before being eliminated by hosts Russia in the round of 16 last time out.
This will afford hope for an enduringly positive and bullish Moroccan side, who have little to lose after reaching the round of 16 at the finals for only the second occasion in history and the first time since in 1986.
Overall, we’re expecting a close and fiercely contested match in Al Rayyan, during which Spain will likely dominate possession and Morocco will look to counterattack at pace and in numbers. It may even need extra-time to settle this contest, but the smart money is on Spain using their experience and quality to inch over the line and reach the quarterfinals.
Our Morocco vs Spain match prediction: Spain to win 2-1 after extra-time.
🔍 Our Morocco vs Spain Betting Tips?
Our sportbooks have made Spain overwhelming favourites to win here, so there’s little value in backing them to win (while handicap betting is also unwise given the respective quality and competitiveness of Morocco).
Sure, you could place a small, outside wager on Morocco to win at 7.20 with TonyBet Sports, but we’d consider exploring other football betting markets when wagering on this game.
For example, you could bet on both sides scoring at 2.38 with TonyBet or Palm Slots Sports, especially as there’s some tremendous attacking quality on show and considerable strength in depth throughout.
We also like the idea of betting on there being over 2.5 goals scored in the game, and you can once again get on this market at a price of 2.30 with TonyBet.
We like the idea of betting on over 2.5 goals scored in the game. You can get on this market at a price of 2.30 with TonyBet.
🎁 Morocco vs Spain World Cup Free Bets
Before we bring out prediction to a close, we thought we’d share some of the most generous free bets for the World Cup clash between Morocco and Spain.
These enable you to access up to €100 in free bets in some instances, which can be used across multiple round of 16 games according to the terms and conditions.
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✒️ Lewis Humphries - Sports Journalist, Tipster and Betting Expert
This Morocco vs Spain 2022WC 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 Sportsblog.
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