Morocco vs Spain Preview:
Possible starting lineups:
Morocco:
Bono; Hakimi, Saiss, Aguerd, Mazraoui; Ounahi, Amrabat, Sahiri; Ziyech, En-Nesyri, Boufal
Spain:
Simon; Carvajal, Rodri, Laporte, Alba; Pedri, Busquets, Gavi; Torres, Morata, Olmo
Morocco face Spain at the Education City Stadium on Tuesday afternoon. Walid Regragui's men finished first in Group F, ahead of two favorites Croatia and Belgium. Morocco impressed in the goalless draw with Croatia, but nobody expect two big victories against Belgium and Canada. The fans are in delirium, but some of them went too far as their win against Belgium triggered big riots in Brussels. Police used water cannon and tear gas to deal with unrest in the centre of Brussels following Morocco's win. Dozens of football fans smashed shop windows, threw fireworks and torched vehicles. Police said that around 11 people had been arrested. Brussels Mayor Philippe Close urged people to stay away from the city centre and said authorities were doing their utmost to keep order in the streets. Subway and tram traffic had to be interrupted on police orders. There were also disturbances in the city of Antwerp and Liege. Now about the team news. Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who felt unwell just before the match with Belgium and had to withdraw seconds before the first whistle, should start here. He played the full 90 minutes against Canada and looked ok. Achraf Hakimi is rated as doubtful as he is nursing some ankle problems. The Paris Saint-Germain defender skipped the Saturday's training, but should be ready for this match.
Spain started the World Cup with a high 7:0 win over Costa Rica. It was a fight between cat and mouse. In the second round they shared the points with Germany. But the last round brought a controversial result as Spain lost 2:1 to Japan. La Roja dominated the first half, boasting more than 80% of the possession, and they had an 1:0 advantage thanks to the 11th-minute goal scored by Alvaro Morata. But Japan turned the game around in the early stages of the second half, though, leveling through Ritsu Doan before Ao Tanaka scored a second for Hajime Moriyasu's team. According to many experts, the defeat was exactly what Luis Enrique wanted. As a result, Germany were eliminated, while Spain will avoid Brazil and Argentina on the way to the final. Of course, the conspiracy theories are not always true. The 52-year-old coach rejected the idea that he and his players calculated in that match. About the team news, Cesar Azpilicueta is struggling with a calf injury. He came off after 45 minutes against Japan and he is rated as doubtful. The reasons for Raya's absence are not clear at the moment. Ferran Torres and Jordi Alba are expected to return to the starting eleven for this match.
Morocco vs Spain Predictions:
Morocco are in excellent form, they are unbeaten on the last eight games in all competitions. Even more, they have only conceded two goals in the process. Walid Regragui's men should not be underestimate, however, I think this is the end of their story. Spain are class above Morocco and I think they will win.
Morocco vs Spain Pick: Spain to win @ 1.60 with
Pinnacle