In what will probably be the least entertaining of the four quarter-finals matches at the World Cup, Portugal will try to book their place in the semis against a very strong Morocco side which eliminated Spain in their last match.
I’ve prepared a Same-Game Parlay for this match; it is priced at +525 odds. Continue reading to see it below!
Draw (+260)
Under 2.5 Goals (-136)
Cristiano Ronaldo to Have 1 or more shots on target (-340)
Parlay odds: +525
** Odds provided by FanDuel **
I’m expecting a very tight game, possibly even a goalless draw here as that’s the style of play these two teams have nurtured in years past. Portugal’s 6-1 win over Switzerland was an anomaly, prior to that we saw them barely beat Ghana and Uruguay in the group stage, while losing to South Korea on the final matchday. Morocco has also had some tight finishes at this World Cup. In fact, two of their four games played have finished in draws against Croatia and Spain, in matches in which they were the underdog. They went through on penalties against Spain, in a match that went into Extra Time so they might be battling with a bit of fatigue in this one. These two teams played each other twice at the biggest stage, with the most recent meeting in 2018 finishing in a 1-0 win for Portugal. I have this one finishing in a draw and the semi-finalist being decided in either ET or on penalties.
With a semi-final berth at a World Cup on the line here, both teams will approach this game with a lot of caution. Morocco’s last 4 of 6 games have seen under 2.5 goals, including 2 goalless draws at this World Cup. Their goalkeeper Yassine Bounou has kept a clean sheet in 5 of those games, opposing attackers will be aware of his qualities following the two penalties he sawed against Spain. Portugal has gone over the 2.5 goal mark in 3 of 4 matches, however I can’t see that being sustainable moving forward with each match getting tougher and tougher. Chances will be hard to come by in this one as both teams are well organized at the back. After seeing Morocco keep Spain from scoring in the last 16 match on Tuesday, it’s hard to imagine these two teams scoring 3 goals in this one.
Although he didn’t start in the game against Switzerland, Ronaldo still remains the biggest name on this Portuguese roster, even if he is past his prime years. The crowd started to chant his name around the 70th minute and head coach Fernando Santos had no choice but to sub him in. Ronaldo showed a lot of energy and was in full attack mode, even with the game seemingly already decided. He leads Portugal averaging 2.5 shots per game and in 252 minutes played he has 1 goal to his name. Morocco are one of the slower teams at this World Cup, which in theory should suit Ronaldo here. He no longer has the pace to get past his defenders, but his technique is still there so he can use that to his advantage. If Portugal are awarded a free kick in a dangerous spot or they get a penalty, you can bet your money Ronaldo will be the one taking it. I think he gets at least one shot on target in this game.
