There’s no other way to put it: Bruno Fernandes is flying right now for club and country. Having picked up a goal and an assist a week earlier in a 4-2 win against Aston Villa in the EFL Cup, Fernandes grabbed a brace in a 4-0 win against Nigeria and led Portugal to a 3-2 win against Ghana with a brace of assists, before scoring a brace in a 2-0 win against Uruguay and being rested in Portugal’s third match against South Korea.

He delivered another world-class performance against Switzerland, assisting Pepe’s 33rd-minute goal to double Portugal’s lead after Ramos’ 17th-minute opener, completing five out of five long balls and three key passes as well as winning four out of four ground duels. If Portugal are to get past Morocco and make it to the semifinals for the third time, Fernandes will have to be at his best – I’m expecting another clutch performance from the Manchester United playmaker.

At 21 years old, Gonçalo Ramos has emerged as Benfica’s attacking talisman following the sale of Darwin Núñez to Liverpool, with the Portuguese striker scoring 17 goals and 7 assists in 24 appearances and staking out a starting spot on the tip of Roger Schmidt’s 4-2-3-1 at the Luz. This form, combined with a spate of injuries, would see him earn a call-up to Portugal’s World Cup squad, making his international debut and grabbing a goal and an assist in a 4-0 win vs. Nigeria.

After coming off the bench in their first two fixtures, Ramos was given a surprise start ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo and quickly rewarded Fernando Santos’ trust, rifling a shot past Yann Sommer and into the top corner, before adding two more goals and an assist in a 6-1 win. He has become the second Portuguese player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup knockout round after Eusébio against North Korea in 1966, and after recording five shots on target against Switzerland, I’m expecting him to get at least one shot on target vs. Morocco.

Coming up against the strongest attack they’ve faced so far this tournament, Saïss and Morocco will have more than enough to do on Saturday. Averaging one foul a match so far this World Cup, he looks destined to at least maintain that record.

At Besiktas this season he is averaging 2 fouls a game and back at Wolves in the Premier League, he was one of 15 defenders with 30+ fouls last season. He is not the most athletic and though he reads the game well, he is not unfamiliar with pulling the shirt of attackers who are trying to run in behind. Saïss is also often part of mass confrontations, either starting them or quickly joining in, which obviously can result in a yellow card.

Likely to be paired up with Jawad El Yamiq, a slower and less athletic defender than Aguerd, Saïss could find himself in situations where Morocco are better off with making an early foul before Portugal can get their attacks going.