Croatia vs Morocco HIGHLIGHTS, FIFA World Cup: Croatia, Morocco settles for a goalless draw
Welcome to Sportstar’s HIGHLIGHTS of the FIFA World Cup game between Croatia and Morocco.
Updated : Nov 23, 2022 17:40 IST
Achraf Hakimi, left, and Luka Modric challenge for the ball during the World Cup group F match between Morocco and Croatia. | Photo Credit: Manu Fernandez
Welcome to Sportstar’s HIGHLIGHTS of the FIFA World Cup game between Croatia and Morocco.
Morocco’s fans are chanting and cheering their side to hold on to the point or maybe make more of it. Ezzalzouli has been heavily involved since he came off the bench. Croatia pushes forward one last time, but Morocco snatches the ball and moves forward only to blocked by a wall of Croatian players. Croatia wins a freekick from the left, but Modric can’t find a teammate and that is it. FULL TIME!!! Yet another 0-0 draw in this World Cup.
Morocco hadn’t won a point in the 2018 group stage. Here it is minutes away from gaining a point against the 2018 runners-up. m
Croatia still on the look out for the break through goal, but Morocco is resilient as the game enters the last five minutes.
Another Croatian freekick and Modric swings it in. Gvardiol rises the highest, but his header is wide. Morocco makes a few changes to reenergise going into the final few minutes.
Modric tries to release Perisic, but the pass doesn’t makes it way through as Hakimi intercepts. Armabat gets a yellow card after a foul on Modric.
Croatia slows down the pace of the game. It passes it way up the field. Morocco’s defensive shape remains intact again.
Croatia wins a freekick down the right flank. Livaja comes in for Kramaric. Modric swings the freekick in and Ounahi had to stretch to poke it away from the goal. Croatia creates a few more corners as it pins Morocco down in its box.
Modric has a chance to push forward in a counter attack, but Moroccan defence is quick to regroup and deny a shot. Morocco is looking the more likely side to score.
Morocco gets a sustained spell on possession and Hakimi drives the ball forward. His cross creates havoc inside the box, but no one can get a touch on it. It soon wins a freekick and Ziyech is again on to it. He rolls it out for Hakimi whose rocket of a shot was straight at the keeper.
Mazraoui seems to be unable to continue and hurting his hip and he is replaced by Yahia Attiyat Allah.
Morocco are pressing the Croatian midfield into making mistakes. Brozovic is the latest culprit to fumble and lose possession. But Modric is quick to swoop in recapture the ball.
Mazraoui and Bounou seem to have suffered minor blows and requires medical attention as players take a breather after an intense few minutes.
Livakovic is forced into action for the first time as he has to keep Mazraoui out from close range. Croatia thunders across for a counter attack and wins a corner. This game is lighting up. Bounou is called into action again from the corner and Amrabat clears away the shot from the rebound.
Despite all the pressure it has put on, Morocco has barely come close to scoring against a compact Croatian defence.
Second half begins. It was an exciting few minutes to end the first half and we can hope for more from this one.
Bounou is the first of the two goalkeepers to called into action. First he comes flying out to the edge of the box to punch away a long ball. Then he is forced to make a crucial block from Vlasic to deny the Croatian. Suddenly the game has come alive. Modric gets a chance to shoot from inside the box, but he blazes it wide and the referee brings the half to an end.
Morocco has grown into the game and now it wins a freekick after yet another foul by Modric. But Ziyech still can’t get his delivery right and Morocco misses out on another set-piece opportunity.
Croatia attacks down the left, but still can’t get a decent enough cross inside the box for its forward to attack.
Croatia slows down its game with its defenders passing the ball in the back line. Morocco’s intense pressure means the European side fails to break forward.
Krmaric finds space down the left to cross the ball, but Bouno comes out of his line to get hold off the high ball. Morocco’s defensive structure has more or less stood firm against Croatian attacks so far.
Hakimi sprints to keep the ball in play following a long ball. But he can’t put a cross in. En-Nesyri gets the ball inside and controls it well, but Lovren is at the right place to prevent a shot from the Moroccan forward.
Modric concedes a freekick after fouling his former teammate Hakimi. It is from a scoreable range, but Ziyech smashes it straight into the wall. Croatia brings the ball forward immediately and wins a corner. Modric with the corner, but he can’t clear the first man.
Perisic grabs a loose ball from midfield, takes a step forward and tries to smash it in from long range. But it misses the post, not by much. First real shot for Croatia.
Hakimi is getting into the game. He tries to spiral a cross into the box from the right, but it takes a deflection off a defender and Livakovic gets hold of it.
Croatia loses possession under pressure, but Morocco can’t make it count. Ziyech loses possession cheaply down the right and Croatia settles down on the ball again.
Morocco gets its first attack of the game. Selim Amallah couldn’t get the shot away after losing his footing.
Croatia attacks down the left, but Saiss is quick to snuff out the attack. Croatia wins a corner and a melee ensues in the box, Morocco clears its lines.
Croatia in control of the game as it holds on to the possession for the opening stretch of the game.
Modric’s Croatia begins its World Cup campaign with a clash against Morocco in a sunny day in Qatar and the game kicks off.
Playing 11
Form guide
PREVIEW
Croatia has won its last five matches and lost once in 16 months, but the 2018 runners-up, led by midfield conjuror Luka Modric, will begin its World Cup campaign against Morocco on Wednesday with little fanfare and few predicting glory.
STATS
So unfancied is Zlatko Dalic’s side, which went all the way before succumbing to France in the final four years ago, that bookmakers are offering 50-1 against it lifting the trophy this time around.
That is longer odds than Denmark and in the same ball park as Serbia, which is probably how they like it.
“It is going to be hard. But also it is good that we maybe don’t have so much pressure because we did amazing things in Russia. But we still wish and we still want to achieve more,” forward Andrej Kramaric said.
With the pressure of expectation lifted off their shoulders, Dalic’s side can go about its business out of the limelight where it will hope to continue a wave of momentum leading into the tournament.
It won its qualifying group conceding only four goals with just one defeat and that came in their opening game away to Slovenia in March 2021.
It also topped its Nations League group ahead of World Cup holders France, Denmark and Austria, and head into the tournament on the back of a winning streak that culminated in a 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in their final warm-up friendly.
While it may have lost some of the leading names from its 2018 run, such as striker Mario Mandzukic and midfielder Ivan Rakitic, there is no shortage of talent in its ranks, especially in midfield.
Modric, the player of the tournament in 2018, has one last shot at glory at the age of 37, and will line up against Morocco probably part of an impressive midfield trio alongside Inter Milan’s Marcelo Brozovic and Mateo Kovacic of Chelsea.
Brozovic has shaken off a muscle tear and played 70 minutes against the Saudis, allaying fears about his involvement at the tournament.
It will kick off its Group F campaign at Al Bayt Stadium against a Morocco side whose build-up was overshadowed amid controversy over their coach after they sacked Vahid Halilhodzic in August following a dispute about player selection and replaced him with Walid Regragui.
One of the players at the centre of that dispute, Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech, was excluded by Halilhodzic for disciplinary reasons but recalled by Regragui despite only starting twice for his club this season.
Morocco, who has appeared in five previous World Cups, also suffered an injury blow when forward Amine Harit was ruled out with a knee injury.
Croatia vs Morocco - Kick off, telecast and live Streaming info
Where will the Croatia vs Morocco World Cup opening match kick-off?
Croatia vs Morocco match will kick-off at the Al Janoub Stadium.
When will Croatia vs Morocco World Cup opening match kick-off?
Croatia vs Morocco match will kick-off at 3:30pm IST on November 23, 2022.
Where can you watch Croatia vs Morocco match in India?
Croatia vs Morocco World Cup opening match will be telecasted live on Sports18 and Sports18 HD. On Android and well as iOS, the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be live streamed on JioCinema.