Seleção aim to put one foot in the knockouts
After the captivating encounter versus their Iberian counterparts, Portugal now face a Morocco side desperate to register points on the board after their unfortunate loss to Iran
Prior to the results for each of these nations in Round One, this tie had been highly anticipated even before a ball had been kicked in Russia. Morocco, many people’s pick as a dark horse to cause a surprise, boast a host of technically gifted players who – under Hervé Renard – have blossomed into quite a formidable outfit.
Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, will be hoping his teammates can step up to the plate in a similar fashion to that of his own display on Friday night to ensure the European Champions have one foot in the last sixteen.
Backdrop
Ronaldo’s otherworldly display will undoubtedly dominate the headlines going into this fixture, and for good reason.
Despite the heroics of the now 33-year-old, the European Champions cannot afford to ignore the negatives from Friday's game, most notably a defensive performance which will only encourage the Atlas Lions.
AC Milan’s André Silva spoke about Portugal’s opposition, stating "I think we are stronger than Morocco if we compare the two teams, but I'm not saying the game will be easy for us.”
Silva was left out of Portugal’s starting eleven against Spain on Friday after his compatriot and fellow youngster, Gonçalo Guedes, produced some stellar displays for the European Champions prior to the World Cup.
The Moroccans' morale will be low after their heartbreaking, last minute own-goal against Iran on Friday - especially as they were heavy favourites to come away with all three points - yet this encounter has the ingredients for another classic, as the Moroccans are likely to come flying out of the blocks.
History
Portugal and Morocco have only ever played against each other once and it does not bode well for the Seleção. The unfancied North Africans’ overcame a strong Portugal side 3-1 in the 1986 World Cup in the midst of the "Saltillo scandal".
What the managers say
Fernando Santos: "Tomorrow's game is important for our opponents and we have the ability to do better than we did against Spain."
Hervé Renard on Ronaldo: "Exceptional? That word may not even be strong enough to describe him."
Fernando Santos on Ronaldo's importance: "This sounds like it's a game of individuals, like tennis. We are at the World Cup. We need to respect Morocco who are an excellent team. We need to be focused to win."
Team News
Santos had all twenty-three players available for today's final session at their base in Kratovo. Much of the lineup is expected to mirror that of Portugal's eleven that faced Spain on Friday - the only positions up for debate are whether Gonçalo Guedes and Bruno Fernandes will be replaced by André Silva and João Mário, respectively.
Many are calling for Rúben Dias' inclusion alongside Pepe after a somewhat concerning defensive display versus Spain. But the likelihood of Santos tinkering with the lineup after gaining a positive result against one of the worlds elite teams is unlikely.
Predicted lineups:
Portugal: Patrício, Cédric, Pepe, Fonte, Guerreiro. William, Moutinho, Bernardo Silva, João Mário, Guedes, Ronaldo
Morocco: El Kajoui, Dirar, Benatia, Saïss, Hakimi, El Ahmadi, Bossoufa, Harit, Belhanda, Ziyech, El Kaabi
by Marino Peixoto
