On the stage of the World Cup, the third-place match between Croatia and Morocco is undoubtedly a much-anticipated contest.
Despite failing to advance to the final, both teams should be applauded for their performances, as they achieved much more than was expected.
Morocco's exit was saddening, and despite the absence of two key players, Lou Manshas and Masharao, due to injury, the team still posed a great challenge to the French backline. Unfortunately, not all of those players who performed well on the defensive side of the field.
Morocco adopted a five-at-the-back formation against France in the quarterfinals, but they are expected to return to their classic 4-3-3 formation in the face of Croatia's strong midfield. Xueyeji and Paufal will be looking to create a threat on the wings, while striker Annesley will look to get more touches on the ball and use his excellent aerial ability to cause France problems.
Croatia lost against Argentina, but they are eager to round off their Modi Calendar World Cup tour with a bang - we won third place as part of the Spanish national team in 1998, and it would be a remarkable achievement to replicate that feat this time around.
Croatia is expected to get more possession in the middle of the midfield, but they will need a breakthrough up front in attack. Aside from a 4-1 win over Canada in the group stage, they have scored just two goals in their other five matches, showing their lack of offense.
However, the core of the midfield, Bileksi and Modi Ric, will continue to contribute strong creativity to the team. If Lovun and Gavadol can consolidate the back four, then Croatia is expected to narrowly beat Morocco in this match and become the third place of the World Cup once again.
