Croatia will once again look to surprise on the biggest stage when they open up their World Cup participation on Wednesday against Morocco. Both teams are in Group F with Belgium and Canada, and the Croatians are favorites to go through along with the Red Devils. The golden era of the Croatia national team may not be what it was four years ago, but Luka Modric is still there to command the middle as they aim to return to the final.
Here’s our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Wednesday, Nov. 23 | Time: 5 a.m. ET
- Location: Al Bayt Stadium — Al-Khor, Qatar
- TV: FS1 and Telemundo | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
- Odds: Morocco +375; Draw +215; Croatia -114 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Featured Game | Morocco vs. Croatia
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Storylines
Croatia: A team that has a huge mix of veterans over the age of 30 and young pups looking to make some noise. The pair of Domagoj Vida and Dejan Lovren — both 33-year-olds — lead the defense, while five of the defenders are under the age of 24, including highly-rated RB Leipzig man Joska Gvardiol. Luka Modric commands the middle, Marcelo Brozovic and Matto Kovacic figure to join him, and up top they need to find a guy to replace Mario Mandzukic. Bruno Petkovic of Dinamo Zagreb is one to watch.
Morocco: An interesting team with some undoubtedly fine talent but more questions than answers. In goal, Bono is reliable and can change a game. Achraf Hakimi has elite speed and ability, but where else will they get production? Sofyan Amrabat shows flashes, but he hasn’t been overly convincing for the national team. Hakim Ziyech has not been in form at Chelsea, but he will be relied on heavily to combine with Youssef En-Nesyri in attack. If a guy like Hakimi can fine that form he showed at Ajax, then Morocco can make noise.
Prediction
The Croatians, led by Modric, get off to a fast start with a impressive win where they dominate the ball and the chances. Pick: Croatia 2, Morocco 0