Matchday 3 of the FIFA World Cup between Canada and Morocco in Group F will take place on December 1 at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha. Kick-off is at 18:00 (Moscow time). Canada vs. Morocco: prediction and betting odds, World Cup 2022 match statistics.
Referee: Raphael Claus (Brazil)
Matches – 13 (International matches, 2021–2022);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 62;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.8;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 26;
Penalties – 54%.
Predicted lineups for Canada vs. Morocco
Canada: Milan Borjan, Steven Vitoria, Alphonso Davies, Sam Adekugbe, Alistair Johnston, Kamal Miller, Jonathan Osorio, Mark-Anthony Kaye, Cyle Larin, David Junior Hoilett, Tajon Buchanan.
Morocco: Yassine Bounou, Romain Saiss, Achraf Hakimi, Nayef Aguerd, Noussair Mazraoui, Hakim Ziyech, Sofyan Amrabat, Sofiane Boufal, Azzedine Ounahi, Abdelhamid Sabiri, Youssef En-Nesyri.
Canada
In the second round of the World Cup in Qatar, Canada was defeated by Croatia with a score of 1-4. Canada has not earned any points after two opening matches and has been eliminated from playoff contention. However, it's worth noting that against Croatia, Canada scored their first-ever World Cup goal, netted by defender Alphonso Davies in the 68th second of the match.
Canada has lost 4 of their last 5 official matches. Additionally, in their last three official games, John Herdman’s team has conceded seven goals and scored only two.
Midfielder Stephen Eustáquio will miss the upcoming match due to injury.
Morocco
After a draw in their opening World Cup 2022 match against Croatia (0-0), Morocco defeated Belgium 2-0. This is Morocco's first World Cup victory in the 21st century (2 draws, 2 losses). Notably, in 4 of Morocco's last 5 World Cup matches, no more than 2 goals were scored.
Morocco has yet to lose under Walid Regragui. Under this coach, the team has played five matches, three of which were friendlies, securing 3 wins and 2 draws. In these games, Morocco scored 7 goals and kept a clean sheet. The Moroccan team is on an impressive run of 45 official matches without a loss (32 wins, 13 draws). Moreover, the African team has shown good scoring form, netting more than once in 4 of their last 5 official games.
Canada vs. Morocco: Match Prediction
Canada does not have tournament motivation for the upcoming match. However, the team has yet to earn points in World Cups, so it can be assumed that their main goal is to avoid defeat in this encounter.
Morocco showcased exemplary football against Belgium in the previous round. Although the team had only 33% possession, they consistently threatened the bronze medalists of the last World Cup. Furthermore, Morocco improved as the match progressed, outshooting Belgium in the second half (4-2 on target). The result: a well-deserved three points and second place in Group F.
To advance to the playoffs, Walid Regragui's side only needs to avoid defeat in the upcoming match. However, I believe Morocco will play for the win to try and secure first place in Group F. I suggest taking the safer option with "Morocco to win with a handicap (0)".
