Football

Portugal vs Morocco Odds and Betting Tips

Even though their chances were not looking great, Morocco caused a massive upset and eliminated Spain from the World Cup 2022. This victory also means the Atlas Lions are the first Arab team to reach the quarter-finals in the history of this competition. Can they make one extra step and shock the world once again?

Portugal is probably going to be a much stronger opponent as they demonstrated consistency and perfect execution. So what are Portugal vs Morocco betting odds for Saturday’s encounter? As expected, bookmakers in the UK have labelled the Navigators as big favourites to claim victory inside the regular time, currently at 4/6. Morocco to win in ninety minutes is 47/10 or 5/2 to qualify for the semi-finals. Check our preview, team news, and predictions below!

Previous Head-to-Head Games

There were only two previous h2h duels between these two opponents. Both of them were competitive matches played in World Cups. The most recent one took place in Russia in 2018 in the group stages, where Portugal claimed a narrow 1-0 victory thanks to the early goal of Cristiano Ronaldo. Morocco was more successful in World Cup 1986 in Mexico, winning the duel 3-1. The Navigators were victorious in their recent meetings against the African sides. They defeated Ghana 3-2 in the group stages and Nigeria 4-0 just before the tournament started.

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Portugal Form and Team News

All recent headlines and news are swarmed by Cristiano Ronaldo and his dispute with Portuguese coach Fernando Santos. The Star player had an angry reaction after being substituted against South Korea. As a result, he started the Round of 16 clashes against Switzerland on the bench. His replacement Goncalo Ramos scored three goals in Portugal’s 6-1 victory, becoming the first player to complete a hat-trick in the knockout stages since 1958. The chances of seeing CR7 benched on Saturday are also high. There were even some allegations that Ronaldo threatened to leave the camp and return home, but today’s statement labelled those as false gossip.

Fans were also surprised by Santos’ decision to leave out Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo from the starting eleven. Those moves turned out to be great for the team, as they looked impressive, especially in the offence. He won’t be able to count on defender Nuno Mendes who is ruled out of the tournament, while Danilo Pereira is still recovering from a rib injury suffered in a training session.

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Overall, we had much lower expectations from Portugal for the World Cup 2022. They didn’t have the consistency during the qualifiers and barely secured a ticket through the playoffs. The group stages started with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Ghana, followed by a 2-0 win versus Uruguay. Coach Fernando Santos decided to rest key players in the 3rd round and that resulted in a surprising 1-2 loss to South Korea.

Morocco Form and Team News

As for the Atlas Lions, they are having one hell of a campaign so far. A lot of experts didn’t give Morocco any chance in the group against Belgium, Croatia, and Canada. In the end, they topped the group with seven points and boosted confidence after defeating the Red Devils 2-0 in a spectacular fashion. The team’s biggest stars are Chelsea’s midfielder Hakim Ziyech, PSG’s defender Achraf Hakimi and Sevilla’s striker En Nesyri. At the moment of publishing this article, they don’t have any injured players. The team perfectly executed a defensive strategy versus Spain a couple of days ago. Morocco even had a couple of great opportunities through the counterattacks to win the duel in extra time. Eventually, the hero of the day was goalkeeper Yassine Bounou who denied three out of Spain’s four penalties in the shootout. We are expecting to see a similar approach on Saturday afternoon.

Portugal vs Morocco Betting Odds and Predictions

It’s hard not to be impressed by Portugal’s performance in the Round of 16. They demolished Switzerland 6-1, which was only the second time their counterpart conceded more than four goals in the last 100 competitive matches! All of the players from starting lineup have been playing for big clubs, mainly in Europe, which can’t be said for the Moroccan side. Here comes the part with our Portugal vs Morocco best bets. We are predicting the Navigators to find the winning formula for the opposition’s rock-solid defence, win this match and advance to the semi-finals. If you are feeling a bit more adventurous, Portugal to win the match and the Under 3.5 goals option is offered at a sky-high 27/10 rate.

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Talking about value, Goncalo Ramos is expected to be in the starting eleven once again. The 5/1 odds to break the deadlock on Saturday are also worth a small stake. A bit safer option is of course to score at any time (21/10). Right now Ladbrokes UK has great Portugal vs Morocco odds and a high number of markets available.

Portugal vs Morocco Betting Tips:

Portugal to win @ 4/6

Portugal to win & Under 2.5 goals @ 27/10

Goncalo Ramos to score anytime @ 21/10


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