Spain and Morocco go head-to-head on Tuesday as the last 16 of the 2022 World Cup nears its conclusion.
La Roja will have been disappointed not to have topped Group E after losing their final game to Japan, but a last 16 tie with Morocco and avoiding a potential quarter-final tie with Brazil has worked kindly in their favour. As a result, nothing less than a win will be expected.
However, the Atlas Lions have been one of the dark horses at this year’s competition and after topping Group F ahead of 2018 finalists Croatia and FIFA’s second best ranked team in the world, Belgium, they are not to be underestimated.
When is Morocco vs Spain?
Morocco vs Spain will kick-off at 3pm (GMT) on Tuesday, December 6 at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar.
This will be just the fourth ever meeting between the two sides and their second in World Cup competition, although their first two meetings in 1961 were part of a two-legged inter-continental play-off for the 1962 World Cup.
Nonetheless, their last meeting took place in Russia four years ago as Spain were held to a 2-2 draw in their final group stage game in Kaliningrad. Morocco twice took the lead through Khalid Boutaiband Youssef En Nesyri, only for Spain to reply in each half through Isco and Iago Aspas.
Image:
Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)How to watch
The match will be televised on ITV, while the game can also be streamed on ITVX and the ITVX app. Coverage begins at 2pm.
Alternatively, highlights will also be available on the FIFA World Cup 2022 highlights show at 23:35 on BBC One, which is also available to stream via BBC iPlayer and the BBC iPlayer app.
Match odds
Morocco vs Spain odds from BETFRED
Morocco - 11/2
Draw - 11/4
Spain - 3/5
*odds subject to change
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Team news
With this being Morocco’s biggest game in recent history, Walid Regragui is expected to name his strongest possible lineup, and that could look very similar to the one which defeated Belgium in the group stage as they go in search of another European giant killing.
As a result, Standard Liege’s Selim Amallah will be expected to return to the midfield in place of Sampdoria’s Abdelhamid Sabiri in the only change to the side, with no fresh injury concerns meaning Regragui should stick with his favoured 4-3-3 formation. That will see Chelsea ’s Hakim Ziyech lineup alongside Youssef En-Nesyri and Sofiane Boufal in attack.
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As for Spain, their shock 2-1 defeat to Japan in their final group game came as a major wake-up call and Luis Enrique must make the appropriate changes to ensure there is no repeat of an embarrassing defeat.
That should see Aymeric Laporte, Jordi Alba and Ferran Torres return to the side, although Alvaro Morata is likely to keep his place in attack ahead of Marco Asensio after scoring in all three group stage games for La Roja. However, Dani Olmo could be sacrificed on the left wing in order to make space for the Real Madrid forward.
