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Portugal vs Morocco
World Cup 2018, Group ?B
Luzhniki Stadium
Kick-off: 1pm BST
Portugal can take a big leap towards the second round with a win over Morocco this afternoon, a result which will all but end the latter's World Cup campaign.
A Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick, the third goal a stunning free kick, earned a point against Spain last Friday after Iran beat Morocco with an injury-time own goal.
The match will be televised on BBC One and can be streamed live online via the BBC iPlayer.
Follow the World Cup action LIVE with Standard Sport!
Live Updates
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FULL-TIME: Portugal 1-0 Morocco That's it! Ronaldo and Co. take a huge step towards the last-16 stage but Morocco are heading home. 90min: A chance for Amrabat as we enter FIVE minutes of added time. The forward ducks into the area and turns past Pepe before shooting but the centre-back gets in a vital block... and celebrates like he's scored. 86min: Replays suggest Ronaldo may have a shout as there was definitely contact with El Ahmadi. 85min: ...and it's straight into the wall. Ronaldo picks up the rebound but goes down inside the area. The referee tells him to get up. Was it a dive? 84min: Free kick to Portugal on the edge of the area. Up steps Ronaldo... 80min: Penalty appeals from Morocco following a goalmouth scramble after another set-piece. El Kaabi hits the deck under attention from Pepe but nothing doing. Portugal are hanging on. 78min: Morocco are aiming for Benatia at every set-piece - as we have established - but yet again the captain can't do enough. He mistimes his header and the ball flicks off his shoulder for a goal kick. Here's Vaishali again It’s been all Morocco in this second half, and I’m not quite sure how they haven’t equalised. Patricio is one reason why though: his saves are why Portugal lead 1-0 with just under 20 minutes to go. 69min: First change for Morocco and it's a straight swap up front as Boutaib is replaced by Ayoub El Kaabi. 60min: Another set-piece, another chance for Benatia. The Morocco captain's initial header is blocked but the rebound falls kindly around the penalty spot. The defender throws a foot at the ball and blazes over. More composure and that really should have been 1-1. 56min: What a save from Patricio! Wolves' new goalkeeper palms Belhanda's header up and over the bar. Stunning.Here is Vai's take from inside the stadium: Rui Patricio has kept Portugal in this match with his saves. Belhanda - and the rest of us - thought he had the equaliser but Patricio has come to the rescue once again for his team. 50min: First sight of goal for Ronaldo as the ball rolls perfectly towards the onrushing forward but he blazes high and wide. Wow, that was... bad. 46min: ...and we start with Ronaldo being flagged offside. SECOND HALF We are back underway. We will be back shortly for the second half. HALF-TIME: Portugal 1-0 Morocco Cristiano Ronaldo's fourth-minute diving header the difference but Morocco are on top. Herve Renard must make sure his team make their dominance count after a similarly frustrating result against Iran, otherwise they are going out. 47min: Oh, so close! Benatia is again a threat at the corner but Belhanda's flick on is just inches out of reach of the centre-back. 43min: But Amrabat is still very, very busy and has the run on Portugal left-back Guerreiro. He gets to the byline yet again but can't find a red shirt in the area. 41min: Portugal have done well to slow the tempo of the game as Morocco threatened to level matters. 36min: Morocco's dominance in possession easing off slightly as Portugal start to get a bit more of a foot hold. The African nation need a goal before half-time. Next
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Prediction
Team news
Portugal manager Fernando Santos has warned his team about the threat Morocco will pose in Wednesday's World Cup Group B fixture.
Morocco's 1-0 defeat by Iran has put them under pressure to secure a positive result and revive their chances of progressing to the knockout stages.
Portugal's 3-3 draw with Spain also leaves them in an uncertain position, but although they remain favourites finish in the top two alongside their neighbours, Santos recognises the danger involved in Wednesday's meeting.
Morocco were expected to be their biggest rivals for second place, behind Spain, and the 63-year-old told FIFA's official website: "The Morocco team is very good; one of the best African squads. They're very good and have players who've been playing mostly in Europe.
"They're very well organised, they know the game technically and tactically. They've always played to their full intensity on the pitch and we have to respond to that.
"Portugal's ready. We have to do what we've done so far; give our best in terms of concentration, and respond to the opponents' intensity. It's a very important game because nothing's been decided.
"We've thought about what we did (against Spain) - the good things, the less good things. We've tried to continue improving what we did well and rectify what we didn't do so well, but it's two or three days, we don't have magic dust.
"I hope Cristiano (Ronaldo) will play a great match. We're used to that almost, not only in the last match but his career as a whole. I hope he and our team are ready, and we'll be able to face a strong team like Morocco. But I've never seen a player win a game on his own."
Full World Cup fixture schedule
Day 6 was a rough one for our experts as Japan and Russia spoiled many of ours experts' picks. In the end, Julien Laurens came out on top with 30 points, edging out Gab Marcotti and Stewart Robson for top spot. The second round of games continues Wednesday, but to whom will the plaudits go?
Portugal and Morocco get the ball rolling when they meet in Group B. Will Cristiano Ronaldo be among the goals once again? Or can Morocco bounce back from their crushing injury-time defeat to Iran? Everyone goes for the Portugal victory, apart from Colin Udoh who backs his fellow Africans to get a 2-2 draw.
We flip back to Group A next, as Uruguay meet Saudi Arabia. It won't come as any surprise to learn that every one of our pundits goes for the Uruguay win. Mauricio Pedroza is the only person to go for the slender 1-0 victory, while Mark Ogden expects a 4-0 rout.
Then it's back to Group B for Spain's match against Iran. It's not a case of who will win this, more by how many. Herc Gomez reckons Spain will win 6-0, Caro Guillen goes for 5-0 and Mauricio has 4-0. ESPN Brasil's Leonardo Bertozzi is the only pundit to go for a single-goal Spanish victory.
Check out how our pundits got on with their predictions for Tuesday's games and remember to join the pundits' league in Match Predictor.
We've got our top talent on hand from England, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Australia and Africa -- many of whom will be based out in Russia for the tournament -- to analyse each and every one of the 64 matches.
We'll score our experts just as we do in the Match Predictor -- 10 points for correct result, with a bonus 20 points for getting the scoreline right too. Who will come out on top on Wednesday?
MATCHDAY 7 PREDICTIONS POR-MAR URU-KSA IRN-ESP PTS Mark Ogden 2-0 4-0 0-3 Craig Burley 2-1 3-0 0-3 Stewart Robson 2-1 2-0 0-2 Caro Guillen 4-0 3-0 0-5 Mauricio Pedroza 3-1 1-0 0-4 Herc Gomez 3-1 3-0 0-6 Leonardo Bertozzi 2-0 3-0 0-1 Poncho Vera 2-0 3-0 0-3 Marcelino Hernandez 2-0 3-1 1-4 Colin Udoh 2-2 2-0 1-3
ESPN Experts panel:
ESPN FC: Mark Ogden, Craig Burley, Stewart Robson
ESPN Deportes: Caro Guillen, Mauricio Pedroza, Herc Gomez
ESPN Brasil: Leonardo Bertozzi
ESPN Mexico: Poncho Vera, Marcelino Hernandez
Kwese, Africa: Colin Udoh
World Cup 2018, Portugal vs Morocco: Preview, Team News, Prediction, Head-to-Head & Key Stats
Portugal face Morocco in a crucial encounter.
Cristiano Ronalda powered Portugal will be up against Morocco. The encounter will be crucial for both the teams as Portugal and Morocco are yet to win a game in FIFA World Cup 2018.
With a scintillating performance against Spain last week, Portugal would be eyeing a top-16 finish. Thus, this game will prove to be crucial for Portugal in the context of their survival in the tournament.
Meanwhile, Morocco will enter the encounter with an aim no less than a victory. The shocking 1-0 defeat against Iran have put them in back seat as they will be playing their remaining matches against two competitive sides.
Team News
Cristiano Ronaldo was seen in some sense of unease in the game against Spain. However, he is expected to get back to the groove ahead of the crucial encounter against Morocco.
Nordin Amrabat of Morocco is known to miss the encounter after suffering the concussion in the game against Iran.
Portugal vs Morocco, Group B:
Match Date: 20 June 2018, Wednesday
Match Timing: 17:30 IST, 12:00 GMT
Match Venue: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia
Expected Crowd Turnout: With an important group-game ahead for both the teams, the Portugal vs Morocco encounter is expected to witness a jam-packed stadium with a total crowd turnout of 79,400.
Head-to-head in World Cups
Portugal 0 - 1 Morocco. This will be the only second time when Portugal and Morocco will be up against each other in a FIFA World Cup. The last time when both the teams contested each other, Morocco had the upper hand as they won the match 3-1.
Portugal FIFA 2018 WC Squad:
Goalkeepers: Anthony Lopes (Lyon), Beto (Goztepe), and Rui Patricio (Sporting Lisbon).
Defenders: Bruno Alves (Rangers), Cedric Soares (Southampton), Jose Fonte (Dalian Yifang), Mario Rui (Napoli), Pepe (Besiktas), Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund), Ricardo Pereira (Porto), and Ruben Dias (Benfica).
Midfielders: Adrien Silva (Leicester), Bruno Fernandes (Sporting Lisbon), Joao Mario (West Ham), Joao Moutinho (AS Monaco), Manuel Fernandes (Lokomotiv Moscow), and William Carvalho (Sporting).
Forwards: Andre Silva (AC Milan), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Gelson Martins (Sporting Lisbon), Goncalo Guedes (Valencia), and Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas).
Probable Starting XI
Rui Patricio, Cedric, Pepe, Jose Fonte, Raphael Guerreiro, William, Joao Moutinho, Bernardo Silva, Joao Mario, Andre Silva, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Morocco FIFA 2018 WC Squad:
Goalkeepers: Mounir Mohamedi (Numancia), Yassine Bounou (Girona), and Ahmad Reda Tagnaouti (Ittihad Tanger).
Defenders: Mehdi Benatia (Juventus), Romain Saiss (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Manuel Da Costa (Basaksehir), Nabil Dirar (Fenerbahce), Achraf Hakimi (Real Madrid), and Hamza Mendyl (Lille).
Midfielders: Mbark Boussoufa (Al Jazira), Karim El Ahmadi (Feyenoord), Youssef Ait Bennasser (Caen), Sofyan Amrabat (Feyenoord), Younes Belhanda (Galatasaray), Faycal Fajr (Getafe), and Amine Harit (Schalke).
Forwards: Khalid Boutaib (Malatyaspor), Aziz Bouhaddouz (St. Pauli), Ayoub El Kaabi (Renaissance Berkane), Nordin Amrabat (Leganes), Mehdi Carcela (Standard Liege), Hakim Ziyech (Ajax), and Youssef En Nesyri (Malaga).
Probable Starting XI
Monir El Kajoui, Achraf Hakimi, Ghanem Saiss, Mehdi Benatia, Hamza Mendyl, Karim El Ahmadi, Hakim Ziyach, Mbark Boussoufa, Younes Belhanda, Noureddine Amrabat, and Khalid Boutaib.
Stats to look into ahead of the encounter:
Portugal's only loss against African opposition at the FIFA World Cup has come against Morocco.
Ever since 2002 FIFA World Cup, Portugal has never lost a game against a non-European country.
In last 10 World Cup group matches, Portugal has lost only match which came against Germany in 2014.
Cristiano Ronaldo's hat-trick against Spain in Portugal's previous group game made him the oldest player in the history of the World Cup to score a hat-trick of goals.
Having scored an own-goal against Iran, Aziz Bouhaddouz of Morocco became the only third substitute player to score an own-goal in the history of FIFA World Cup
Portugal vs Morocco: Match Prediction
Predicted score: Portugal 3- 0 Morocco
Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal will try to ride the momentum of a thrilling opening-round draw with Spain when it faces Morocco in the second round of pool play at the 2018 World Cup on Wednesday at 8 a.m. ET. Ronaldo scored all three of his team's goals in a 3-3 tie, getting Portugal an unexpected point. Morocco lost 1-0 to Iran and is in must-win mode for any chance of advancing out of Group B. Portugal is posted at -155, meaning you would need to wager $155 to win $100 on an outright victory. Morocco is at +460 (risk $100 to win $460), while a draw is +275. The over-under on total goals scored in this 2018 World Cup match is two.
Before you make your plays, you need to see what European football expert David Sumpter has to say.
Sumpter is an applied mathematician who wrote Soccermatics, a book that explains how math works inside the sport. Together with other experienced analysts, Sumpter developed the powerful Soccerbot model.
The Soccerbot reads current odds and all team performance data, calculates key metrics and predicts upcoming matches. In nearly three seasons since its inception, the Soccerbot is up an incredible 1,800 percent against closing sportsbook odds.
Sumpter was spot-on in these teams' opening matches. He took Iran in an upset win over Morocco at +275 and called for a draw between Spain and Portugal at +225, two big winners.
Now the Soccerbot has digested the film, crunched the numbers, and broken down every single player on Portugal and Morocco. The model has released a very strong money line pick, which it's sharing over at SportsLine.
The model knows Portugal not only has the better team overall, but also has arguably the world's best player in Ronaldo. He certainly looked like it in the 2018 World Cup opener against powerful Spain.
Ronaldo registered a hat trick -- scoring on a penalty kick, free kick and in regular play -- to secure one point against the favored Spaniards.
Morocco suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Iran, with the game's lone score coming off an own goal. It has been 20 years since the nation's last World Cup berth. The team does have a tough back line, led by Juventus defender and team captain Medhi Benatia.
While Morocco almost surely needs a win to advance in Russia 2018, a draw is something the program could build on for years back home.
So which hungry nation wins Wednesday? Or does it end in a draw? Visit SportsLine now to see the strong Portugal-Morocco money-line pick, all from a European soccer expert whose powerful model is up 1,800 percent in less than three years.
