Morocco vs Croatia, Live Commentary - FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar

#	Team	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Group A
1	Netherlands	3	2	1	0	5	1	4	7
2	Senegal	3	2	0	1	5	4	1	6
3	Ecuador	3	1	1	1	4	3	1	4
4	Qatar	3	0	0	3	1	7	-6	0
Group B
1	England	3	2	1	0	9	2	7	7
2	USA	3	1	2	0	2	1	1	5
3	Iran	3	1	0	2	4	7	-3	3
4	Wales	3	0	1	2	1	6	-5	1
Group C
1	Argentina	3	2	0	1	5	2	3	6
2	Poland	3	1	1	1	2	2	0	4
3	Mexico	3	1	1	1	2	3	-1	4
4	Saudi Arabia	3	1	0	2	3	5	-2	3
Group D
1	France	3	2	0	1	6	3	3	6
2	Australia	3	2	0	1	3	4	-1	6
3	Tunisia	3	1	1	1	1	1	0	4
4	Denmark	3	0	1	2	1	3	-2	1
Group E
1	Japan	3	2	0	1	4	3	1	6
2	Spain	3	1	1	1	9	3	6	4
3	Germany	3	1	1	1	6	5	1	4
4	Costa Rica	3	1	0	2	3	11	-8	3
Group F
1	Morocco	3	2	1	0	4	1	3	7
2	Croatia	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
Group G
1	Brazil	3	2	0	1	3	1	2	6
2	Switzerland	3	2	0	1	4	3	1	6
3	Cameroon	3	1	1	1	4	4	0	4
4	Serbia	3	0	1	2	5	8	-3	1
Group H
1	Portugal	3	2	0	1	6	4	2	6
2	Korea Republic	3	1	1	1	4	4	0	4
3	Uruguay	3	1	1	1	2	2	0	4
4	Ghana	3	1	0	2	5	7	-2	3

Matches Played

Matches Won

Matches Drawn

Matches Lost

Goals For (Goals scored by a team)

Goals Against (Goals conceded by a team)

Goal Difference

Pts

Total Points

That's it for now folks and thanks for staying on!

And don't forget to tune in for the live coverage of the remaining three games of the day on Sportskeeda.

Croatia kick off their campaign with a very hard-earned point against Morocco and saw their 100% record against African teams come to an end. Morocco remain in search of their first win at the World Cup since 1998.

⏱️ FT | Morocco 🇲🇦 0-0 🇭🇷 Croatia

🤝 The 3rd goalless draw of this year’s tournament already, more than 2018 which only had 1#Qatar2022
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) November 23, 2022

FULL TIME: MOROCCO 0-0 CROATIA

A game of few chances ends in a goalless draw as Morocco frustrate the 2018 runners-up. Croatia struggled to create any meaningful chances as Morocco held their own.
The game went end-to-end at times but had just a few exciting moments in what was a tough game for both teams.

90+6' And it ends goalless between Croatia and Morocco.

90+6' Modric's free-kick does not have enough quality and the ball is out of play.

90+5' Just like the first half Croatia up the ante in injury time and earn a free-kick in a good position.

90+4' Croatia get to the box but a stubborn Morocco send the ball straight out of play.

90' We will have six minutes of added time.

Substitution for Croatia: Mislav Orsic replaces Ivan Perisic

89' Change for Croatia as Ivan Perisic makes way for Mislav Orsic.

87' Juranovic brought down by Attiat-Allah as the Croatian defender threatened to run away with the ball on the righ flank.

84' Lovren clears an incoming pass into the box and Livakovic collects the ball from the shot that followed.

Substitution for Morocco: Abdelhamid Sabiri replaces Azzedine Ounahi

Substitution for Morocco: Abderrazak Hamdallah replaces Youssef En-Nesyri

80' Morocco make a double change.

Substitution for Croatia: Lovro Majer replaces Mateo Kovacic.

79' A quick change from Croatia as Mateo Kovacic comes off.

Sofyan Amrabat

78' Amrabat penalized for his foul on Modric.

76' Modric with a brilliant interception and runs down the middle but the Moroccan defense foils his plans again.

75' And we are into the final 15 minutes of the game as the two sides look for the winning goal.

71' Wonderful delivery from Modric, En-Nesyri gets a foot up in time to make a crucial interception.

Substitution for Croatia: Marko Livaja replaces Andrej Kramarić.

70' Josip Juranović wins a free kick for Croatia and they make a quick substitution.

67' Amrabat gives away possession cheaply and Modric sends Kramaric through. Croatia's lack of pace is exposed again as they fail to get enough bodies inside the box in time. Morocco clear the ball away.

Substitution for Morocco: Abdessamad Ezzalzouli replaces Sofiane Boufal.

66' Morocco make their second substitution, as Sofiane Boufal is taken off the pitch.

65' Hakimi sends in a powerful shot from the free-kick. It is straight at Livakovic, who palms it away.

64' Modric commits a foul to stop Morocco's play and escapes booking yet again.

62' Achrak Hakimi sprints down the right flank and his cross is not met by anyone in the box. Substitute Attiat-Allah recovers the ball and sends in a cross that is saved by Livakovic.

Substitution for Morocco: Yahya Attiat-Allah replaces Noussair Mazraoui

60' Morocco make their first substitution as Yahya Attiat-Allah comes on for Mazraoui.

He will be stretchered off the field and the injury sustained in an awkward fall might be more serious than expected.

58' Mazraoui is back on the ground again and it seems he will need to be taken off now.

55' A bried pause in the game as Mazraoui had stayed down after goal attempt. He got back on his feet but received treatment soon after and is able to carry on.

53’ Croatia have a chance of their own following a good delivery from Modric from a corner. Bono steps out into the crowd to stop Gvardiol from tapping in and Saiss clears it off.

51' Chance at both ends of the pitch! Boufal sees a long-range shot blocked by Lovren, Mazraoui tried to make something out of the rebound as he attempts a header at near post but Livakovic denies him.

Substitution for Croatia: Mario Pasalic replaces Nikola Vlasic.

Morocco have begun the second half unchanged while Croatia have taken off Vlasic, who needed treatment for a muscle problem at the end of the first half, Mario Pasalic has on for him.

46' And we're back on as Croatia get the game underway.

😖 Croatia have committed more fouls (4) than they have had shots so far (1)

🇲🇦 0-0 🇭🇷 #Qatar2022
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) November 23, 2022

3 - Luka Modric is the first player to play in both the European Championship and #FIFAWorldCup in three different decades. Emblematic. pic.twitter.com/28Co8gkKxh
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 23, 2022

Morocco yet to register a shot on target while Croatia have just one shot on target.
The European team have dominated possession (59%) but have not been able to get the better of a well-organized Moroccan defense.

HALF-TIME: Morocco 0-0 Croatia

All squares at half-time as the two teams canceled out each other's attacks very well. Morocco have been defensively solid and have frustrated the 2018 runners-up. Croatia had two good chances in injury time and will be looking to continue that momentum in the second half.

45+2' Close! Vlasic has his shot blocked and Modric takes a shot on the rebound, driving it just above the crossbar.

45 +1' A lobbed pass from Croatia leads to a little bit of chaos in the Morocco box! Bono comes off his line to punch the ball out and races back to the goal and sticks out a leg to deny Vlasic. Great stuff from the Sevilla goalkeeper.

43' Vlasic back onto the pitch and will be able to carry on.

42' The game pauses as Nikola Vlašić is being treated on the sidelines.

42' Ziyech's delivery is not good and the free-kick is easily defended by Croatia.

41' Modric commits yet another foul but comes away with just a warning. Morocco win a free-kick near the box.

37' Morocco show their defensive prowess again as Croatia's quick break into the final third from Brozovic's pass is cut short as Kramaric's poor first touch takes the ball away from the middle.

No idea how Luka Modric hasn't been booked yet. #MARCRO #Qatar2022
— Solace Chukwu (@TheOddSolace) November 23, 2022

30' At the half-hour mark, the game remains goalless. Morocco are not bowing down against Croatia.

28' A few chances here and there for both teams but the goalkeepers have not been called into action yet, as Bono makes a comfortable save from Kovacic's cross.

23' Hakimi shows his speed and seemed to have kept the ball in, the game goes on but it clearly should've been a goal kick.

21' Croatia counter but Morocco get back their players just in time and concede a corner.

20' Ziyech's left-footed attempt from the free-kick hits the wall.

18' Modric is just a little late in his challenge on Hakimi and Morocco have free-kick in a dangerous position!

17' Ziyech looking dangerous in the final third, he attempts a left-footed dipping cross into the box which is just a bit far from En-Nesyri

16' A mistake from Amallah, the midfielder gives a way the ball in the midfield. Perisic is there to pick it up but his shot from outside of the box has just a little too much power and goes over the bar.

14' It's end-to-end in this game! Luka Modric shows off a bit of skill with an outside of the foot pass into the centre of the box, but no one was there to receive it

12' Great stuff from Morocco! Boufal launches a ball into the box, Hakimi meets the ball and lays it off for Ziyech, whose shot is blocked.

10' Croatia looking confident and are able to create a few chances.

7' Great tackle by Amrabat and possession changes hand.

5' Croatia keep the ball alive and near the box following the corner but the ball is back in the midfield.

4' A good start from both teams, Andrej Kramaric shows hos desire to get into the final third and wins a corner for Croatia.

Morocco get the game underway and have a solid fan support from the stands.

1' Here we go!

Hakim Ziyech is the one to watch out for in this match and he will be looking leave his mark after being left out of the squad by previous manager Vahid Halilhodzic.

The players are all set to take to the pitch for the pre-game formalities.

🇧🇪🇨🇦 𝗚𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗣 𝗙 𝗕𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗢 🇲🇦🇭🇷

Let’s take a look… 🔮 pic.twitter.com/xRJHoBDK1v
— William Hill (@WilliamHill) November 23, 2022

👤 PSG's Achraf Hakimi
👤 Bayern's Noussair Mazraoui

Do Morocco have one of the strongest full-back pairings at the World Cup? 🇲🇦@midnite | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/5l9UghKnQX
— Squawka (@Squawka) November 23, 2022

European teams tend to do well against African opponents in the tournament. So Croatia are the favorites in the game.
They have faced African opponents twice in the competition, recording a 6-0 win on aggregate, as they defeated Cameroon 4-0 in 2014 and inflicted a 2-0 defeat on Nigeria four years ago.
No African team has been able to pick up a win in the competition thus far and Morocco will be looking to change that fact in this game.

Morocco are undefeated in their last five games across all competitions, keeping four clean sheets in that period. They defeated Georgia 3-0 in a friendly game last week, thanks to goals from Hakim Ziyech, Sofiane Boufal, and Youssef En-Nesyri. All three have started here.
Croatia have won their last five games and in their friendly against Saudi Arabia last week, Andrej Kramaric helped them to a 1-0 win. He has also been handed a start in this game.

Morocco are winless in nine of their last 10 matches in the FIFA World Cup. Croatia, on the other hand, have five wins in their last 10 games in the competition.

Luka is 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲.

What can we expect from 2018's adidas Golden Ball winner? 🇭🇷#HRV | #FIFAWorldCup | #Qatar2022
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) November 23, 2022

The second-place finish in 2018 remains Croatia's best performance at the FIFA World Cup and it was the first time since 1998, that they had made it into the knockout stage.
Morocco have not been able to make it past the group stage in their last three attempts and have only qualified for the knockout stage just once in their history, in 1986. They were eliminated in the round of 16 by eventual runners-up West Germany in that edition.

Croatia won four of their seven games in the 2018 FIFA World Cup while Morocco endured a winless run in 2018, suffering two defeats and playing out a draw.

The two teams are meeting for the first time since their meeting in the 1996 Hassan II Cup. The game ended 2-2 in regular time and was decided on penalties, in which Croatia emerged as the winners with a 7-6 triumph in the shootout.

Morocco Bench -

Abderrazak Hamdallah, Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, Anass Zaroury, Walid Cheddira, Zakaria Aboukhlal, Abdelhamid Sabiri, Bilal El Khannous, Ilias Chair, Yahya Jabrane, Achraf Dari, Badr Banoune, Jawad El Yamiq, Yahia Attiyat Allah, Ahmed Tagnaouti, Munir

Croatia Bench -

Ante Budimir, Bruno Petkovic, Marko Livaja, Mislav Orsic, Kristijan Jakic, Lovro Majer, Luka Sucic, Mario Pasalic, Borna Barisic, Domagoj Vida, Josip Stanisic, Josip Sutalo, Martin Erlic, Ivica Ivusic, Ivo Grbic

There are no big surprises in the lineup for both teams as all the big names have been included in the starting XI.
Domagoj Vida and Mario Pašalić have been left on the bench by head coach Zlatko Dalić.

Here is your #Croatia starting lineup for the Morocco encounter at the #FIFAWorldCup in Qatar! 🥁🤩 #MARCRO #Family ❤️‍🔥 #Vatreni #Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/x9TdQcHeAY
— HNS (@HNS_CFF) November 23, 2022

التشكيلة الأساسية لأسود الأطلس أمام منتخب كرواتيا

🚨Starting XI : Atlas Lions that will be playing against Croatia#DimaMaghrib 🇲🇦 #TeamMorocco #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/61LZ5jbBXN
— Équipe du Maroc (@EnMaroc) November 23, 2022

Here's how the two teams are lining up for their 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign opener -

Morocco (4-2-3-1): Yassine Bono (GK); Achraf Hakimi, Romain Saiss, Nayef Aguerd, Noussair Mazraoui; Azzedine Ounahi, Sofyan Amrabat; Hakim Ziyech, Selim Amallah, Sofiane Boufal; Youssef En-Nesyri

Croatia (4-3-3): Dominik Livakovic (GK); Josip Juranovic, Dejan Lovren, Josko Gvardiol, Borna Sosa; Luka Modric, Marcelo Brozovic, Mateo Kovacic; Nikola Vlasic, Andrej Kramaric, Ivan Perisic

The lineups are in!
Both teams have opted for a strong squad, with plenty of familiar names in the starting XI and on the bench as well.

Croatia, the runners-up from the 2018 edition, head into this game as favorites. Veteran midfielder and 2018 Golden Ball winner Luka Modric headlines their squad against the Atlas Lions.

Hello and Welcome to the FIFA World Cup 2022 game between Morocco and Croatia in Group F at the Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar.

Date & Time

23 November, Wed 03:30 PM IST

Tournament

FIFA World Cup

Stadium

Al Bayt Stadium

Head To Head Summary

Match Details

Related Articles

Head To Head Summary

Highlights

Morocco vs Croatia 0-0: Official Match Highlights

Key Stats

Head To Head Summary

Match Details

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Match Details

Match Details

Ball Possession

Offense

Defense

Distribution

Discipline

Others