MY ACCOUNT
– The second round of quarter-final fixtures take place on Saturday
– Portugal face Morocco test
– England and France set to put on a show
Bet 1: Over two goals in 90 minutes for both teams combined
Two of the World Cup’s most exciting teams clash at the Al Bayt Stadium, with England and France promising to serve up a thrilling quarter-final.
With France led by the unstoppable Kylian Mbappe and England captain Harry Kane arguably the best number nine/ten hybrid in the game, two of the best players in Qatar go head-to-head.
And their support cast is superb — four of just ten players to have scored three or more 2022 World Cup goals prior to the quarter-finals are English or French.
Olivier Giroud became Les Bleus’ all-time leading scorer with three goals in Qatar while Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka have three apiece in an England squad boasting a whopping eight different goalscorers.
Bet 2: Both teams to score in 90 minutes
Not only do both teams have plenty of firepower but neither is the most defensively secure.
France have conceded in all four World Cup outings. Didier Deschamps’ porous team handed Denmark and Tunisia their only goals of the World Cup and also went behind to Australia in Group D, and even shot-shy Poland netted a consolation goal in the round of 16.
England have kept three clean sheets in Qatar but twice were fortunate to do so, with Ismaila Sarr blasting over from four yards for Senegal and USA hitting the bar.
Wales were shackled but lack attacking threat and Iran scored twice in a 6-2 defeat.
Prior to the World Cup, England’s defence conceded ten goals in six Nations League outings — it is the poor quality of their World Cup opponents rather than newfound solidity that has handed Gareth Southgate’s men their clean sheets.
Bet 3: Kylian Mbappe to score at any time in 90 minutes
Mbappe is the tournament’s leading scorer with five goals from just three starts and he should add to that tally against a questionable English defence.
The Paris Saint-Germain superstar has failed to score in only two of his last ten appearances for club and country — one of the blanks was when playing only 30 minutes against Tunisia — and Mbappe has 12 goals in those ten outings.
Portugal can edge past resilient Morocco
Bet 1: Portugal to win to nil in 90 minutes
Portugal looked a team reborn in the round of 16, thumping Switzerland 6-1 with a stunning performance.
The turnaround from their unconvincing group-stage performances — in which they suffered scares against Ghana and Uruguay and lost to South Korea — was dramatic.
That can be put down to the introduction of hat-trick hero Goncalo Ramos — the 21-year-old not only offered goals but added tenacity and movement to a frontline that often looks predictable when led by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Morocco have reached the last eight on the back of some superb defensive performances but this new-look Portugal side should edge past the Atlas Lions
Bet 2: Under three goals in 90 minutes
Morocco stay compact and try to hit opponents on the counter-attack, which has rewarded them with a 0-0 draw against Croatia, 2-0 and 2-1 victories over Belgium and Canada, and a penalty-shootout success against Spain following 120 goalless minutes.
The game plan for manager Walid Regragui will be the same against Portugal, who will be aware of Morocco’s counter-attacking threat and, as a result, a little more cautious than against Switzerland.
Morocco have conceded just once in their last eight games — a deflected own-goal — and only two of those matches have seen more than two goals.
Bet 3: Over five Portugal corners in 90 minutes
Morocco sit in a deep block to stop teams passing through them and instead force opponents to cross or shoot from range.
That is a recipe for conceding corners but Regragui’s men do not mind as they are confident defending set-piece.
In Qatar, only Croatia — who showed limited attacking intent — secured fewer than six corners, with five, while Belgium racked up nine, Canada won six and Spain chalked up eight.
Portugal will be buzzing around the Moroccan penalty area for much of the game and should get at least six corners from deflected shots and crosses or as Regragui’s men stop dangerous dribbles by poking the ball behind.
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