We’re close to the end of the most significant event in the football world – the FIFA World Cup Finals 2022 in Qatar. With only two encounters remaining, the 3rd place game on Saturday, December 17 and the Grand Finale on Sunday, December 18, we’re approaching the tournament’s final stages with great excitement. 

 

This series presents the latest statistics, forecasts and analysis of all the tournament’s matches. This time we take on board the FIFA World Cup 2022 3rd place battle, Matchday 22 of the championship: Morocco vs Croatia. Let’s explore and analyse the forthcoming game and help you choose the best World Cup betting strategies to give you a good run for your money. Who is value to win? Let’s find out.

 

Matchday 22, FIFA World Cup Finals – 3rd place match

Morocco vs Croatia

Saturday, 17.12.2022, 3 pm (GMT) – Khalifa International Stadium

  VS  

 

Morocco to win (90’)     Draw (90’)     Croatia to win (90’)

21/10 (prob. 32%)             5/2 (prob. 28 %)             11/8 (prob. 43%)

PLEASE NOTE: The average odds comparison, source – oddschecker.com. The odds are valid on the day of the article’s publication and may be subject to change before the game starts.

 

Croatia (12th in the FIFA World Ranking) meets Morocco (22nd in the FIFA World Ranking) at  Khalifa International Stadium on Saturday, 17th December. 2018 World Cup runners-up against the biggest surprise and underdog challenger. Will Morocco become the first African nation to grab the World Cup bronze medal in Qatar this winter?

 

Morocco have been the tournament’s surprise package, and each time the ‘Atlas Lions’ get written off, they stand up straight to upset the odds and live to fight another day. They have already made history in the competition by reaching the Semi-Finals with a bombshell win 1:0 over Portugal.

 

Only a few weeks after their goalless draw in a Group F encounter, where Croatia were restricted to just five attempts against Morocco‘s backline, they are renewing hostilities again. A similarly relentless defensive showing could set the ‘Atlas Lions’ on their way to a groundbreaking World Cup honour.

 

In the Semi-Final meeting against France, a lack of killer instinct in the final third prevented  Morocco from cementing themselves into an even more remarkable achievement and becoming the first country from the continent to make it to the final. Nevertheless, they can still become the first nation to keep as many as five clean sheets at a single World Cup since Spain’s golden team of 2010 in South Africa.

 

Morocco, without a doubt, gave France a scare in Wednesday’s semi-final. Unfortunately for them, two goals from defender Theo Hernandez (AC Milan) and the forward Randal Kolo Muani (Eintracht Frankfurt) ended the Atlas Lions‘ dreams of Qatar supremacy.

 

Croatia remarkably reached the 2018 World Cup Final and the semis of the 2022 edition without winning a single knock-out game in regular time. The ‘Checkered Ones’ are not complete novices in bronze medal encounters either, as they defeated the Netherlands 2-1 in the 1998 third-placed play-off during their inaugural World Cup campaign.

 

For a side who have regularly proven their excellence in extra time periods and penalty shootouts, the Western Balkan nation will not be happy to hear that the third-placed games have never been decided on penalties.

 

A World Cup 2022 bronze medal is on the line now between Morocco and Croatia, and neither side should turn their back away from a podium finish on the grandest football stage. After falling painfully short of the World Cup Grand Finale, both teams will be eager to end their tournament adventures on a high in the third-place play-off. Therefore the Marocco vs Croatia match promises to be highly exciting and full of surprising turns for punters.

 

So, let’s have a look at the latest markets and World Cup Matchday 22 betting odds ahead of the third-place game between Morocco and Croatia.

 

Morocco vs Croatia FIFA World Cup 2022 betting odds

 

It looks like the underdogs are underestimated by the market yet again. We have seen several surprising results so far, and we can easily call this tournament a ‘World Cup of SHOCKS’. That being so, backing Morocco to finish third in the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar might be a value play worth considering.

 

Although, seeing the ‘Atlas Lions’ holding the Bronze Medal can not be named as a shock anymore.

 

Croatia have been placed as the bookmakers’ favourites for the win within 90 minutes. The FIFA World Cup 2018 runners-up are currently backed at 11/8 (prob. 43%).

 

Morocco have been handed odds of 21/10 (prob. 32%) to come out on top in normal time, while a draw could attract attention at 5/2 (prob. 28 %).

 

Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim) is the 6/1 (prob. 14 %) favourite to open the scoring ahead of Marko Livaja Ante (Hajduk Split), Ante Budimir (Osasuna) and Youssef En-Nesyri (Sevilla).

 

Morocco – latest FIFA World Cup 2022 betting odds:

 

1). Morocco to win the 3rd place: 21/10 (prob. 32%)

2). Yassine Bounou to win World Cup Golden Glove: 13/8 (prob. 38%)

3). Achraf Hakimi to win World Cup Golden Ball: 100/1 (prob. 1%)

4). En-Nesyri to win World Cup Golden Boot: 150/1 (prob. 0,7%)

5). Youssef En-Nesyri to score first: 7/1 (prob. 12,5%)

6). Youssef En-Nesyri to score anytime: 11/4 (prob. 27%)

7). Hakim Ziyech to win World Cup Golden Ball: 100/1 (prob. 1%)

8). Hakim Ziyech to win World Cup Golden Boot: 250/1 (prob. 0,4%)

9). Hakim Ziyech to score first: 21/2 (prob. 8,6%)

10). Hakim Ziyech to score anytime: 19/5 (prob. 20,8%)

 

• Youssef En-Nesyri has scored 2 goals so far
• Hakim Ziyech  has scored 1 goal so far

 

Croatia – latest FIFA World Cup 2022 betting odds:

 

1). Croatia to win the 3rd place: 11/8 (prob. 43%)

2). Dominik Livakovic to win World Cup Golden Glove: 15/2 (prob. 11,7%)

3). Luka Modric to win World Cup Golden Ball: 32/1 (prob. 3%)

4). Luka Modric to score first: 12/1 (prob. 7,6%)

5). Luka Modric to score anytime: 9/2 (prob. 18%)

6). Andrej Kramaric to win World Cup Golden Boot: 75/1 (prob. 1,3%)

7). Andrej Kramaric to score first: 6/1 (prob. 14%)

8). Andrej Kramaric to score anytime: 12/5 (prob. 29%)

 

Andrej Kramaric has scored 2 goals so far.

 

PLEASE NOTE: The average odds comparison, source – oddschecker.com. The odds are valid on the day of the article’s publication and may be subject to change before the game starts.

 

 

Morocco vs Croatia – facts to know and remember before the World Cup 3rd place play-off

 

Morocco took a risk with both defenders Noussair Mazraoui (Bayern Munich) and their captain Romain Saiss (Besiktas Stambul) for the Semi-Final defeat (0:2) against France, and it did not pay off with both of them having to be substituted due to injuries.

Meanwhile, another defender Nayef Aguerd  (West Ham United), initially named in the starting lineup on Wednesday, was withdrawn from the starting eleven just before kick-off. The Moroccan manager Walid Regragui told the press Aguerde was recovering from flu rather than another fitness setback. Is it only a smokescreen, or is the Maroccan defence line falling apart after such demanding rounds of games? We’ll find out on Saturday.

 

We think the likes of Achraf Dari  (Stade Brest) and Yahya Attiat-Allah (Wydad Casablanca) will most likely perform at the back for Morocco again this weekend.

 

Croatia, meanwhile, have stayed relatively injury-free throughout their time in Qatar and should have most of their squad available for this final game.

 

All the yellow cards collected up to this point are wiped after the Semi-Final round of games. Therefore none of the players is suspended for the World Cup 3rd place match and the Final due to a yellow card accumulation.

 

Morocco’s possible starting lineup: Bono; Hakimi, El-Yamiq, Dari, Attiyat-Allah; Ounahi, Amrabat, Amallah; Ziyech, En-Nesyri, Boufal

Croatia’s possible starting lineup: Livakovic; Juranovic, Gvardiol, Lovren, Sosa; Modric, Brozovic, Kovacic; Pasalic, Kramaric, Perisic

 

Morocco Group F games – results

 

FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Group F 2022 Final Standings

Pos.	Country	Played	W	D	L     GF    GA	GD	Pts
1.	Morocco (Q)	3	2	1	0       4       1	+3	7
2.	Croatia (Q)	3	1	2	0       4       1	+3	5
3.	Belgium	3	1	1	1       1       2	-1	4
4.	Canada	3	0	0	3       2       7	-5	0

 

Morocco – Croatia 0:0

Morocco – Belgium 2:0

Morocco – Canada 2:1

 

Morocco’s Road to the World Cup Semi-Finals 2022 

 

1/8 Morocco (F1) – Spain (E2) 0:0 (3:0 on penalties)

1/4 Morocco (F1) – Portugal (H1) 1:0

1/2 Morocco (F1) – France (D1) 0:2

 

FIFA World Cup 2022 3rd place match 

 

Morocco (F1) – Croatia (F2) ???

 

Croatia Group F games – results

 

FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Group F 2022 Final Standings

Pos.	Country	Played	W	D	L     GF    GA	GD	Pts
1.	Morocco (Q)	3	2	1	0       4       1	+3	7
2.	Croatia (Q)	3	1	2	0       4       1	+3	5
3.	Belgium	3	1	1	1       1       2	-1	4
4.	Canada	3	0	0	3       2       7	-5	0

 

Croatia – Morocco 0:0

Croatia – Canada 4:1

Croatia – Belgium 0:0

 

Croatia’s Road to the World Cup Semi-Finals 2022 

 

1/8 Croatia (F2) – Japan (E1) 1:1 (3:1 on penalties)

1/4 Croatia (F2) – Brazil (G1) 1:1 (4:2 on penalties)

1/2 Croatia (F2) – Argentina (C1) 0:3

 

FIFA World Cup 2022 3rd place match

 

Croatia (F2) – Morocco (F1) ???

 

Summary

 

As a result of the success Morocco had against three international football giants Belgium (Group stage), Spain (Round of 16) and Portugal (Quarter Final), ‘Atlas Lions’ would be worthy bronze medalists indeed. It is remarkable how they have prevented opposing players from scoring in their previous games throughout the tournament. They surely know a thing or two about their defensive duties. But now, all the fitness troubles and injury concerns might impact their final encounter in the tournament.

 

We’re not expecting this game to be action-packed, as both teams have struggled to score goals in this tournament. Morocco have scored 5 and conceded 4 (2 of which were in the Semi-Final encounter against France). In contrast, Croatia have scored 6 and conceded 6 (3 of which in the Semi-Final meeting against Argentina).

 

Both countries will really want this third-place finish, especially Morocco, who have broken so many records by getting the furthest any African nation has ever before.

 

No matter what happens at the Khalifa International Stadium on Saturday afternoon, the current Morocco bunch have already established their place in continental football folklore as the first-ever African team to come that far at the World Cup Finals. They may very well try to rush themselves for what could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stand on the FIFA World Cup 2022 podium.

 

Morocco vs Croatia – Head-to-Head clashes

 

Both teams have met only twice in history.

 

Morocco, and Croatia have, of course, already played each other at the World Cup 2022 in the Group F encounter. They couldn’t be separated back then, and the match ended in a goalless draw. They both progressed to the Round of 16 at the expense of Canada and the big favourites, Belgium.

 

The only other meeting between these two nations came back in 1996, which ended with a 2-2 tie in the Hassan II Trophy.

 

We are sure you have your own opinions about the winner and loser of the FIFA World Cup 2022 3rd place match. Although the odds aren’t always accurate, you can find the most updated ones on the Betfinal website: www.betfinal.com

 

So, if you plan on betting on any result of the forthcoming Saturday’s FIFA World Cup 3rd place match, Morocco vs Croatia, don’t forget to look at those at www.betfinal.com

 

World Cup Finals Qatar – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

 

1). When and where is the FIFA World Cup 2022?

 

Qatar host the FIFA World Cup 2022 this winter, the first to be organised by an Arab country and the second held entirely in Asia. It is the 22nd edition of the tournament, which began way back in 1930.

 

The event started on Sunday, November 20, with a match between Qatar vs Ecuador.

 

The Final (and 64th match) will kick-off in Lusail on Qatar National Day,  Sunday, December 18, 2022.

 

• November 20: Opening match of 2022 World Cup (Qatar vs Ecuador)
• December 2: Group phase concludes
• December 3-6: Round of 16
• December 9-10: Quarterfinals
• December 13-14: Semifinals
• December 17: Third Place Match
• December 18: Final

 

2). Who is in the FIFA World Cup 2022 Finals?

 

A total of 32 teams compete in the FIFA World Cup. 31 of them must qualify for the tournament, with Qatar qualifying automatically as a host. There are 13 nations from Europe, 4 from South America, 4 from Asia, 5 from Africa, 4 from North America, and Australia, which is a member of the Asian confederation.

 

• Host: Qatar

• Europe: Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Wales.
• The rest of the world: Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico, Ecuador, USA, Canada, Senegal, Ghana, Cameroon, Morocco, Tunisia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Japan, Costa Rica and Australia.

3). Why is the World Cup in November?

This year’s World Cup has been scheduled for November and December, unlike in the usual June and July window. This has been done to combat the fierce Qatari summer heat, which is often more than 40°C during the period. The average temperature in November is 24°C and 21°C in December.

 

4). Are tickets for the World Cup 2022 still available?

Tickets are available through the official FIFA website. The online Last Minute Sales on a “first come, first served”  basis is still open and will run until the end of the FIFA World Cup on 18 December.

5). How much does a World Cup ticket cost?

Four categories of tickets are made available to supporters wanting to attend the World Cup in Qatar.

• Category 1 – is the highest priced, located in prime areas within the stadium.
• Category 2 and Category 3 – are seating areas within the stadium offering a less-premium view of the action.
• Category 4 – is a seating area within the stadium reserved exclusively for residents of Qatar.

All tickets are sold in Qatari riyal to both residents of Qatar and international fans, with prices ranging from 40 riyals ($11) to 5,850 riyals ($1,607).

 

Football online betting has never been more accessible, exciting and fun with Betfinal. We offer our players the best and most accurate FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar betting odds to help you choose your best betting World Cup strategies possible.

 

So, get ready for the upcoming World Cup 3rd place match, Morocco vs Croatia, and stay tuned for the best FIFA World Cup Finals betting tips at the Betfinal blog when the time rolls around.

 

Have fun and bet wisely with the best World Cup Matchday 22 – Morocco vs Croatia betting odds at your favourite betting site, www.betfinal.com

 

Published: December 2022

By: Rafa