THE World Cup 2022 will have a reunion before it closes. After being beaten in the semi-finals, Croatia and Morocco prepare for a duel for third place in the tournament in Qatar. However, the teams know each other: members of group F, the two teams disputed the first round of the competition, where a goalless draw won. under the DISCARD! recalls the confrontation.

Although current runners-up, Croatia arrived for the 2022 World Cup outside the favorites list. Morocco, on the other hand, coming from Pot 4 of the draw, didn’t seem to have any great intentions in the tournament either.

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The match between the two teams reinforced the predictions created earlier. With a defense that was difficult to penetrate, Morocco didn’t give the Croatians any big chances, but also didn’t attack when needed to keep the three points.

In this sense, the Moroccans maintained a defensive posture from start to finish, while Croatia weren’t very incisive in attacking decisions. The best moment of the game came in the dying minutes of the opening phase, when Vlasic finished past Sosa’s cross, but Bono made a superb save.

The game awarded each selection one point, which was enough for both teams to qualify later. In two completely different first-round duels, Morocco defeated a strong Belgium 2-0 and beat Canada 2-1. Croatia, on the other hand, had a good game against the Canadians, winning 4-1. , and tied with the Belgians at 0-0 to secure second place.

The Croatians reached the semi-finals with two wins on penalties. Led by Luka Modric, the team eliminated Japan in the round of 16 and Brazil in the quarter-finals. However, they failed to overcome Lionel Messi’s Albiceleste, with a 3-0 defeat.

In turn, the Moroccans beat Spain, in the round of 16, which ended in a penalty shootout. In the quarter-finals, Morocco beat Portugal 1-0 and became the first African country to reach the semi-finals of the World Cups. Against France, it lost 2-0, but wrote a beautiful page in its sporting and socio-cultural history.

The Europeans face the Africans this Saturday, at 4 p.m. (Brasília time), at the Khalifa International Stadium. Whoever wins the confrontation guarantees third position in the 2022 World Cup, behind only Argentina and France, who make the big decision.