What a wonderful tournament Morocco had. No one expected them to make it this far but they have surprised and impressed one and all! This has been a World Cup campaign of dreams for them. They would not have wanted to sign off with a loss but the Atlas Lions can be mighty proud of their efforts in Qatar. Croatia too have had an outstanding tournament and deservedly, have a medal on their way out. Now onto the big final!
This has been one of the most fascinating games in FIFA World Cup 2022 with both teams having some moments of brilliance. Croatia took the lead through Josko Gvardiol but Morocco bounced back within two minutes with Achraf Dari netting the equaliser. Mislav Orsic's stunner helped Croatia regain the lead before the break. Morocco came out all guns blazing in the second half and almost scored but Dominik Livakovic denied Youssef En-Nesryi from close range. They did have some more opportunities but were not able to find the back of the net. Eventually, Croatia end up winning the contest and take the prize, the bronze medal in FIFA World Cup 2022!
This is turning out to be one cracker of a game here! Dominik Livakovic denies Youssef En-Nesyri and Croatia are hanging on with Morocco causing trouble for them. Livakovic has produced a sensational save to keep Croatia still ahead but will this scoreline stay?
Croatia are relentlessly attacking since the start of this half and are looking more likelier of the two sides to score another goal in this match.
The second half has begun at the Khalifa International Stadium with Mislav Orsic's strike giving Croatia a slender lead. But as we have seen on so many occasions, a one-goal lead is never safe and Morocco will be looking to hit back hard in this half.
What a first-half that was! Josko Gvardiol gave Croatia the lead in the seventh minute of the game but Morocco did not take much long to bounce back, with Achraf Dari heading one into the Croatian net two minutes later. Both sides attacked relentlessly in the first half but Croatia found themselves ahead when a strike by Mislav Orsic beat Yassine Bounou before getting into the net. We are in for another exciting half! Stay tuned.
What a goal this is! Mislav Orsic has scored a sensational goal as he beats Yassine Bounou and ball ricochets off the post and goes into the net! He seems to have just guided it. Croatia are ahead in this match again! Will Morocco fight back again before the break?
We have had an electric start to this game! Gvardiol's header gave Croatia the lead and Morocco found themselves trailing for the second consecutive time in FIFA World Cup 2022 but Dari pounced on an opportunity and came up with a header of his own! Both teams have looked to pose questions for each other and this game promises to be a cracker!
Headed goals here...
Headed goals there...
Headed goals everywhere!!! pic.twitter.com/BUT4e8dE1h— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 17, 2022
Goal! Josko Gvardiol had put Croatia ahead and within seconds, Morocco has put has pulled things back with Achraf Dari netting the equaliser! What a moment this is for Morocco!
The action in the third-place play-off match between Croatia and Morocco is underway at the Khalifa International Stadium.
Our 3rd Place matchup is now underway!#HRV v #MAR#FIFAWorldCup | #Qatar2022
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 17, 2022
Croatia and Morocco will be hoping to fly out of Qatar with their heads held high when they face each other in the third-place play-off match in FIFA World Cup 2022. Morocco have had a remarkable campaign, one that would not be forgotten in years to come in their journey to becoming the first-ever African nation to qualify for the semi-final. They beat giants like Belgium, Spain and Portugal to get to the last four and the perfect icing on the cake would be a third-place medal, which will be a token of their dream run, which was eventually put to an end by defending champions France, in the competition. Croatia vs Morocco, FIFA World Cup 2022 Third-Place Play-Off Live Streaming & Match Time in IST: How to Watch Free Live Telecast of CRO vs MAR on TV & Free Online Stream Details of Football Match in India.
Croatia too, have had a very good tournament up until the semifinal against Argentina, where they eventually were far from their best. Few would have expected them to make it to the last four in this tournament but they showed remarkable consistency, knocking out a pre-tournament favourite in Brazil to qualify for the semis. Zlatko Dalic’s men can be proud of their performance and they will look to give a proper send-off to Luka Modric, who might be playing his final World Cup game today. Croatia vs Morocco, FIFA World Cup 2022: Walid Regragui, Morocco Coach, Says They Want to be Remembered as Africa’s Best Ever Team
Both these sides have already faced each other in the tournament when they clashed in a Group F clash, that had eventually ended in a goalless draw. This time around, we will have a winner for sure, in case the match ends without a goal being scored after additional extra time.