Morocco are heading into this first opener against Croatia with optimism, confidence and a sheer belief that they can advance from group F.  Recent friendly wins have showed a Moroccan side with intensity off the ball, neat passing play in possession and players with enough individual quality to threaten any opponent.

Ziyech’s left foot will be key but watch out for the technically gifted Sofiane Boufal on the opposite flank, who in addition to his silky feet, is the team’s penalty taker. In defence, Morocco boast one of the most impressive full-back pairings of this tournament, with Bayern’s Noussair Mazraoui on the left and PSG’s Achraf Hakimi on the right – both up there with the best in the world in their position.

Croatia’s game is built around oppressing other teams by controlling possession – as a result, they rarely get their work done early, scoring only a quarter of their goals in the first half. Morocco are certain to be a test, but it’s hard to think that Croatia’s quality won’t tell over the full 90 minutes and any side able to call upon Luka Modric in the centre of midfield is going to be one that is going to dictate the tempo of the game and make their opponents do plenty of running.

Within the squad and Croatia at large, most people will tell you this squad is stronger than 2018, and manager Zlatko Dalic has been keen to mention ahead of the game that he aims to combat Morocco by progressing the ball up the field quickly and beat them to the punch. Look to Croatia’s more physical players around Modric in midfield to be the key to getting the win the side expects.

Both sides boast snippets of genuine world class talent in their ranks, but that can’t be said for across their entire squads. As mentioned previously, it’s hard to see Croatia’s class not showing in this game. Second place is up for grabs for both teams, so we can expect all out attacking style to result in goals. More specifically at least two in this clash

When Morocco attacks, everything will go through Hakim Ziyech on the right side.  Achraf Hakimi will often come on the overlap which gives Ziyech space to cut inside and test his lethal left-foot. 18 goals in 43 appearances make him the highest scoring Moroccan in the 21st century, tied with Marouane Chamakh, and he will hope to climb on the all-time list at the World Cup.

Very few players try as many shots as Ziyech and though he manages to find gold at times, fans often find themselves frustrated when they see him go for goal from 40 yards out. But for this bet that is perfect.  At the previous World Cup he averaged 3 shots per game and as Morocco’s focal point you’d expect him to reach similar numbers this year as well.

Morocco’s strength down their wings, primarily from breaks from their full backs, poses an interesting challenge for Croatia. While Sosa and Perisic will keep their side quiet, with the right wing role a little less set, it’s fair to assume that right back Juranovic will be a bit more exposed, particularly as he likes to get forward himself.

Juranovic isn’t one to foul often at domestic level, but Morocco provide a different and sterner test than anything he sees in Scotland for Celtic. While Marcelo Brozovic may be the more reliable choice to be caught making tactical fouls, Morocco’s threats mean that it’s Juranovic who will be called into action on this occasion.

As mentioned previously, you’d expect Morocco to make a fair few fouls against a tough Croatian side. The player who averages the most fouls in this Morocco team, is captain Saïss.

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 interfering, which obviously can result in a yellow card.