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Match 59
Morocco v Portugal
Morocco frustrated Spain for 120 minutes and did so convincingly. They were stalwart in defence and mentally tougher than the Spaniards, which saw them win the resulting penalty shootout. Sofyan Amrabat has been imperious in the midfield, chasing down every pass like his life depended on it and will be crucial to disrupting any attack Portugal hope to build. Hakim Ziyech and Sofiane Boufal have been inspirational in pressing and orchestrating counter-attacks but Morocco lack a clinical finisher up top. This has been overcome through defensive solidity but they will hope to take their chances moving forward. Yassine Bounou earned the Man of the Match award for his heroics throughout the match and in the penalty shootout, and with centre-back pairing Romain Saiss and Nayef Aguerd in front of him, Morocco will be extremely difficult to break down. If they can frustrate Portugal, they stand every chance of winning and may even pinch a goal from open play if underestimated by their opponents.
The big surprise in the Round of 16 was the benching of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo for first-time starter Gonçalo Ramos. Those that questioned the move were soon silenced as Ramos smashed home the opening goal and later took home the match ball with a stunning hat-trick performance. Portugal ran riot over a poor Switzerland side, with four different goalscorers getting in on the action and a lot of attacking success that can be attributed to Joao Felix. The Atletico Madrid man has been given the freedom to play at Qatar 2022 that he has arguably not had at club level. Pepe and Ruben Dias have been solid but have not been seriously tested just yet, while Andre Silva and Bruno Fernandes have controlled the midfield and transitional play effectively. Portugal may not get the room to build their attack against a compact Morocco side, and they will want to avoid being dragged into a grinding match where they are unable to create clear-cut chances.
Portugal have the firepower but Morocco have the resistance and mental strength to win. This game could be either side's for the taking.
Match 60
England v France
For the first time in years, England will believe they can win against a top-ranked side and they could be right to think so. Boasting one of the strongest benches in the tournament, England should be confident that if the match needs a tactical switch then they have the personnel to do so, and any number of their substitute players can impact the game. Gareth Southgate has previously gone for a back three in bigger matches but may well stick with a back four to maintain the midfield trio of Rice, Bellingham and Henderson, who have all linked up dangerously as demonstrated against Senegal. The obvious player they need to stop will be Kylian Mbappe, which will likely be a job left to Kyle Walker. The England right-back has played club football against the prolific striker and has the pace to match him as long as he maintains a slight head start. Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka as always will be supported by captain Harry Kane up top. England have had so many goalscorers so far this tournament that the French defence may not know who to prioritise in attempting to contain the Three Lions front line...
France have likely identified Jude Bellingham as the key man to stop in the midfield, which would deny England build-up on the counter. Antoine Griezmann, Adrien Rabiot, and Aurélien Tchouameni should start and all have been in great form - the former has done his best to fill the role left vacant by Paul Pogba this World Cup, acting as a deep-lying playmaker and adding a screen for the defensive line. The French attack can hurt any team, with Ousame Demeble providing pace and creativity while Olivier Giroud and Mbappe convert opportunities at will (8 goals between them so far) - the English fullbacks will have their work cut out for them. Ibrahima Konate and Dayot Upamecamo have been solid so far but Les Bleus are vulnerable on the flanks, and captain Hugo Lloris has the odd error in him in goals.
This game may be won or lost with the fullbacks for both teams and either team will believe they can win in 90 minutes. France may be slight favourites but this England side has arguably never looked better. Time will tell, however, if they have learned from their past exploits at the Euro 2020 and 2018 FIFA World Cup tournaments.
