Fate has decided to give Morocco a second chance against France, four years after the two nations faced off in the semifinals in Qatar. And while the Atlas Lions look even more dangerous today, Les Bleus seem determined to reclaim the World Cup title.
France endured a grueling 90 minutes against the Paraguayan national team, a match that will be remembered entirely for the anti-football played by the South Americans and the series of questionable refereeing calls—or rather, the lack of calls against Paraguay's actions.
There’s no point in dwelling on these things, since Les Bleus ultimately secured the victory with Mbappe’s penalty kick, and we expect to see a much more entertaining match at the highest level against Morocco.
The Atlas Lions defeated co-hosts Canada with a classic 3-0 victory in a match that was no less challenging. The final score is yet another testament to Morocco’s phenomenal defensive play, as Canada had more scoring opportunities but still lost without finding the back of the net even once.
How the bookies view it: Are Morocco being underestimated?
Given their performance so far, France have deservedly overtaken all other favourites and are now the clear favourite to win the title. Accordingly, the bookmakers are giving them a huge advantage over Morocco, although we believe the margin is exaggerated.
Currently, you can bet on France at 3/5, while Morocco are available at 5/1. The draw is also priced quite high at 29/10. Find the best odds with our best mobile apps for world cup betting.
Recent head-to-head: Les Bleus celebrated four years ago
As we mentioned at the very beginning, France and Morocco also faced off at the previous World Cup, but in the semifinals, when Les Bleus won 2-0.
The two nations have faced each other a total of six times, with France remaining undefeated with four wins and two draws.
Players to watch: Mbappe scores whenever he wants
As obvious and cliche as it may sound, a Kylian Mbappe bet is simply a must-have in every match France plays. There have been an extraordinary number of surprises at this World Cup, but Mbappe’s goals—already seven in five matches—have brought us success time and time again.
Of course, France’s attack features several other reliable players, such as Michael Olise, who already has five assists at this World Cup.
Probable line-ups
France: Maignan, Digne, Saliba, Upamecano, Kounde, Kone, Rabiot, Doue, Olise, Dembele, Mbappe
Morocco: Bono, Mazraoui, Riad, Diop, Hakimi, Bouaddi, El Aynaoui, El Khannouss, Ounahi, Diaz, Rahimi
Anything else catch the eye?
We’re big fans of Morocco’s football, but unfortunately, we expect them to suffer the same fate as four years ago and be eliminated by France.
The difference, however, is that this time we expect to see greater efficiency from the Atlas Lions and at least one goal. France’s defence has had its weak moments, and Morocco are exactly the type of team that can capitalise on any mistake, especially on counterattacks.
The main issue is that Ismael Saibari could miss this clash due to muscle problems, which will be a huge absence for Morocco. Nevertheless, we expect to see a high-scoring thriller that ends 2-1 or 3-1 in France’s favor.
GambleAware