📰 Table Of Contents
Double of the day:
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England vs France
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For the very first time in the knockout stages of a tournament, historic rivals England and France go head-to-head.
Les Bleus are looking to remain on course to retain their world title, after hammering Poland 3-1 in last Sunday’s second round.
Olivier Giroud broke the deadlock, becoming France’s all-time leading goal-scorer in the process, before Kylian Mbappé turned on the style, scoring twice.
Mbappé is in pole position to go home with the golden boot, having scored five already, after picking up the young player of the tournament award in 2018.
But, England have some potent attacking threats of their own, as Senegal found out in the round of 16.
Jordan Henderson, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka were all on target as the Three Lions scored three, swatting the African champions aside.
It doesn’t take a genius to work out that this is a recipe for success.
Despite reaching the 2018 semi-finals and the Euro 2020 Final, England, arguably, haven’t come up against a team as good as this France outfit at a tournament since being demolished by Germany in 2010.
So, Didier Deschamps’ team are rightly slight-favourites, but this one at Al-Bayt Stadium is tough to call.
Secondary tip of the day
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Given that these two teams are so well-matched, could it go all the way to a penalty shootout?
England fans will certainly hope not, given that the Three Lions have lost seven of nine at World Cups and Euros.
This includes heartbreakingly being beaten by Italy in last summer’s European Championship Final at Wembley.
England’s World Cup hopes have been ended via this method on three occasions: West Germany (1990), Argentina (1998) and Portugal (2006).
Although, they did finally win a World Cup shootout for the first time ever four years ago, ousting Colombia in Moscow.
France meantime have lost their last two penalty competitions, beaten in the 2006 World Cup Final by Italy and by Switzerland at Euro 2020.
That night at Arena Națională, the first 15 spot-kicks were converted, before Mbappé saw his tame effort saved.
Overall, les Bleus have won just three of seven shootouts, so will be seeking to avoid that eventuality as much as England.
Nevertheless, 12 World Cup quarter-finals have been decided by penalties, since Mexico ‘86, and this could be added to the list.
Goalscorer tip of the day
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With so much of the pre-match attention focussed on ‘how do England stop Mbappé’ could they become too focussed on the PSG forward?
If so, this may leave Ousmane Dembélé, who netted when these two nations last met, Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud with space to operate.
Giroud has already scored three times in Qatar, taking his tally to seven at major tournaments.
The 36 year old scored 144 goals for English clubs and could net against the Three Lions for the first time here.
Morocco vs Portugal
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Cameroon (1990), Senegal (2002), Ghana (2010) and Morocco (2022): Africa’s World Cup quarter-finalists.
The Atlas Lions joined that exclusive list on Tuesday, becoming the first team from North Africa to make it this far, now aiming to become the continent’s first last four representatives.
Walid Regragui’s team have been extremely impressive at this tournament, accumulating seven points in the group phase, the first African team to achieve this.
Then, in the second round, despite having just 23% possession, they held their own against Spain, creating 0.7 xG to la Roja’s 1.0, as it finished goalless after two hours.
Subsequently, Yassine Bounou became just the second goalkeeper in World Cup history to keep a clean sheet in a penalty shootout, saving two of Spain’s three efforts, after the first had thwacked the post.
Abdelhamid Sabiri and Hakim Ziyech both converted from 12 yards, before Madrid-born Achraf Hakimi chipped an impudent Panenka straight down the middle, securing the famous victory.
So, backed by a partisan crowd at Al-Thumama Stadium, Morocco will fancy their chances of another massive shock.
Portugal though were exceptional against Switzerland on Tuesday night, running out 6-1 winners, their second-best major tournament win, only bettered by the 7-0 demolition of Korea DRP in 2010.
Gonçalo Ramos, who got the nod up front, bagged a hat-trick, with veteran Pepe heading home, before Raphaël Guerreiro and Rafael Leão completed the rout.
Fernando Santos’ team had scored just seven goals in their previous ten knockout matches, but the shackles were well and truly off in that one.
However, this is likely to be a far sterner test, one that Portugal might just edge, but it’s unlikely to be as high-scoring.
Secondary tip of the day
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Continuing that theme, a goalless opening 45 is likely to be on the cards.
Amazingly, Morocco have conceded just one goal in over 660 minutes since Regragui took over, and this was an own goal by Nayef Aguerd against Canada.
Meanwhile, Portugal’s first two games at this tournament, against Ghana and Uruguay, were both 0-0 at the interval.
In fact, even including that Swiss demolition, A Seleção’s last 13 knockout games have witnessed just seven goals in the first 45, dating back to Euro 2008.
This century, World Cup quarter-finals have averaged 0.7 goals per first half, further suggesting a low-scoring opening period is likely here.
Goalscorer tip of the day
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If the game is level going into the closing stages, could Rafael Leão be the man to make the difference?
On Tuesday, Portugal started a match at a tournament without Cristiano Ronaldo for the first time since a Euro 2008 group phase dead-rubber, also against Switzerland, ending a 36-match sequence.
Having scored a hat-trick, Gonçalo Ramos will continue to lead the attack but, in a tight game, substitutes could be key.
Leão has already scored twice off the bench at this tournament, crucial doing so against Ghana, before an astonishing strike in the round of 16.
So, last season’s Serie A player of the season could be a key factor in this one, even though he won’t appear on the initial team sheet.
