In the second round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday afternoon, Spain will have to find ways to break down Morocco’s strong defence.
Legend:
Tiki-taka alone won’t be enough against Morocco
The Spaniards will have to find other ways to break down the Moroccan defense in the Round of 16.
imago images/nurphoto
When is the game played?
The round of 16 takes place on a Tuesday. Kick-off is at 4 pm. The game will be broadcast live on SRF Zwei and Sport App.
Where is the game played?
The game will take place at the Education City Stadium (44,667 seats) in Doha. Six group matches were played in the arena, whose façade resembles a polished diamond. After the round of 16 between Morocco and Spain, a quarter-final will be held in the “Jewel of the Desert”. Later, the stadium would be reduced to 20,000 seats for university sports.
what happened so far
After a goalless opener against Croatia, Morocco produced their masterpiece in a 2–0 victory over Belgium. While the “Red Devils” struggled in defense of the North Africans, the Moroccans remained patient and rewarded themselves in the last 20 minutes of the game. A 2–1 victory against Canada finally secured the group victory.
Not as a group winner, but as second only to Japan, Spain progressed. “La Roja” started the tournament strongly with a 7–0 victory over Costa Rica, but failed to live up to the expectations that had been raised. After a 1–1 draw against Germany, the Spaniards suffered a 2–1 defeat to Japan after a bloodless performance. While Spain progressed due to superior goal difference, a lack of support from the Spanish sealed the end for the Germans.
final group game
facts about sports
- Rare African Group winners: Morocco is the first African country since 1998 to qualify for the knockout stage of the World Cup as group winners. The Nigerians last managed to do so in the final in France.
- World Cup Reunion: The last and so far only World Cup duel between Spain and Morocco took place not too long ago. Four years ago, the two countries met in the group stage and drew 2–2 in a heated match. North Africa were eliminated before the last preliminary round game.
- Defensive as showpiece: Since Walid Regargui took over as coach from Vahid Halilhojic, Morocco have conceded just one goal in 6 international matches. And that was Nayef Aguard’s own goal in the last group game against Canada. With Achraf Hakimi and Nussair Mazrouei both winning 61 percent of their duels, the Moroccans are a strong presence, particularly in the full-back position.
- Spain without Plan B: With 72 percent ball possession, Spain are also the most dominant team in this World Cup. The 2010 world champion played over 1,000 passes against Japan. ONLY: There is no danger of ball attachment in midfield. Sometimes all you need is a good old crowbar. And it looks like Spain hasn’t figured it out yet.
Potential Quarter Final Opponents
The winner of the duel between Morocco and Spain gets either Portugal either Switzerland,
