Morocco vs Portugal: Head-to-head, stats, predicted line-ups, formations

The lone surviving team from Africa and the sole remaining
representative of the Arab diaspora in the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, Morocco
will take on Portugal in a bid to become the first African semi-finalist in
World Cups but also the maiden debutant quarter-finalist since South Korea in
2002 to make it to the semi-finals of the World Cup.

Also read: Achraf Hakimi celebrates with mother after win against Spain: Watch

Barring Morocco, all the seven quarter-finalists are either
from Europe or South America. The Africans are upbeat after a thrilling
penalty shoot-out win over Spain while Portugal too is in hot form after thundering into the last eight with a 6-1
destruction of Switzerland. The west European
side will look forward to using its form and momentum to break into the
semi-finals of the prestigious event.

Also read: Who is Yassine Bounou?

Morocco vs Portugal: Head-to-head

· The two sides have played each other twice with
both having won a match each

· Both the matches have been in World Cups

· The first encounter between the two sides was
in the 1986 FIFA World Cup where cup debutants Morocco claimed a sensational
3-1 victory.

· Portugal got to claim revenge 32 years
later as they beat Morocco 1-0 in the 2018 World Cup, thanks to a goal by lucky charm Cristiano
Ronaldo

Also read: Who is Walid Regragui, head coach of Morocco?

Morocco vs Portugal: Stats

·  Portugal occupies the ninth position on the FIFA
world ranking list while Morocco can be seen at the 22nd position in
the list

· Abderrazzak Khairi of Morroco is the highest goalscorer
in Morocco-Portugal encounters as he scored a brace in Morocco’s victory over Portugal in the 1986 World Cup

· Portugal has scored 12 goals in the World Cup
while Morocco has been content with a modest four

Also read: Goncalo Ramos on Cristiano Ronaldo: ‘He is our leader and idol’

Morocco vs Portugal: Predicted lineups

Morocco’s probable 11 : Romain Saiss(C),  Yassine Bounou (GK) — Achraf Hakimi,  Nayef Aguerd,  Noussair Mazraoui, Azzedine Ounahi, Sofiane
Amrabat, Selim Amallah, Hakim Ziyech, Youssef En-Nesyri, Sofiane Boufal

Portugal’s
probable 11: Pepe(C), Costa; Dalot, Dias,
Guerreiro; Otavio, Carvalho, B. Silva; Fernandes, Ramos, Ronaldo

Also read: Cristiano Ronaldo trolled on social media after getting benched against Switzerland

Morocco vs Portugal: Formations

Morocco’s
expected formation: 4-3-3

Portugal’s
expected formation: 4-3-3