Spain vs morocco

Morocco were delighted not only to qualify for the Round of 16, but additionally to come out atop Group F as they beat Croatia, Belgium, and Canada to the top spot. That should afford the Atlas Lions a softer Round of 16 draw, right? Well, how about a date with 2010 champions Spain, who finished second in Group E behind surprise winners Japan. It's an unlucky draw, but also presents an opportunity to shake up the tournament field as Morocco search for a statement upset. For Spain, they will hope to recover after a final-day capitulation to Japan that saw them drop to second in the standings. Below are the confirmed starting lineups for both teams. MORE: Morocco vs. Spain lineups, team news The Spanish media has attempted to stoke the fire around this match, with one outlet dubbing the Moroccan side "the UN team" to antagonize the African nation ahead of the Round of 16 match, poking fun at the host of different birthplaces of players on the Morocco roster. Most notably, star full-back Achraf Hakimi is Spanish-born, a major talking point ahead of this match. Morocco coach Walid Regragui brushed off the criticism, declaring "we don't care what the Spanish media is saying." "Talking about what a newspaper said does not fall within our interests, because we are Moroccans, with a valid Moroccan passport.” Below are the confirmed starting lineups for both teams ahead of their match at Education City Stadium on Tuesday, December 6. Morocco starting 11 (4-3-3, right to left): 1. Y...

Morocco meet Spain in the FIFA 2022 World Cup Round of 16 on Tuesday for a place in the quarterfinals against either Portugal or Switzerland. On the same side of the draw as France and England, one of these two teams could be facing Les Bleus or the Three Lions for a place in the final on Dec. 18. Before then, this clash promises to be enticing with plenty of technical brilliance on display in this battle between two teams with historic links off the pitch. Get Your Daily World Cup Fix Your ultimate guide to the Beautiful Game as our experts take you beyond the pitch and around the globe with news that matters -- and while you're at it, Here's our storylines, how you can watch the match and more: Team news Morocco: It should be an unchanged XI from the one we saw against Canada at the end of the group stage with Yassine Bounou back to full fitness after missing the Belgium draw due to feeling unwell before kick-off. Achraf Hakimi should be fit despite a few issues with his ankle while Hakim Ziyech, Sofyan Amrabat, and Sofiane Boufal should also start after a few days of rest. Spain: Dani Olmo was rested during training recently, but should be fit to feature while Cesar Azpilicueta has been nursing a calf issue after coming off at halftime against Japan. Unai Simon should continue in goal despite his mistake, but expect to see Ferran Torres and Jordi Alba back in the starting XI after Nico Williams and Alejandro Balde got their chance against Japan.

This is harsh on Morocco, who probably created the better chances. Walid Cheddira could have punished them several times in extra-time. “There is frustration as we were very superior. We could not take the chances we did make, and the external circumstances were not with us. But that is not an excuse. Factors that do not depend on us. But we should not complain, we have to be proud of this team, keep our heads up, be together. “We had been practicing penalties as knew there could be extra time and penalties. Today we got the sad side of the coin. But we will keep working, stay with the team to the death, and for sure football owes us one.” The Barcelona forward, who started on the right, said: "Our heads are still up. We played the same way from minute one to 120. We could not take the chances we did make. We missed some, and they scored all their penalties, it was not to be.” “Maybe today we were not great in front of goal, but they made it difficult, were well positioned and approached the game well. They gave us the ball, as always, and closed up. The chances we had were not the most clear.” (Photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images) "We felt the support of our supporters, be it in Morocco or any other country in the world. This gives us the impetus and I want to thank all the players who helped us through this mountainous task. Great effort, I applaud them, and I give this gift of joy to all our people. "As you know, when you’re in the thick of it you don’t realize what you’v...