The last two World Cup semi-final spots are waiting to be filled, and Saturday’s quarter-finals are very difficult to predict. Morocco have upset the odds several times in setting up their quarter-final with Portugal, while England and France are set to play out one of the most highly-anticipated games of the tournament so far.
You can still bet on any of more than 160 markets on every World Cup match with Bet9ja. Keep reading for all the key information, odds, tips and analysis you will need ahead of Saturday’s high-stakes clashes.
Morocco vs Portugal
Al Thumama Stadium
Saturday 10th December, 16:00
Saturday will be an important day in Morocco’s history, as they line up for their first ever World Cup quarter-final, hoping to make Portugal their latest scalp.
Walid Regragui’s team have been one of the great successes of the tournament. After drawing 0-0 with Croatia in their opening game, they went on to top Group F by beating Belgium 2-0 and Canada 2-1. They followed that up by pulling off the biggest surprise of the Last 16 when they defeated Spain on penalties after another goalless draw.
Morocco have created a reputation for being resolute and hard to break down. Not only is Nayef Aguerd’s own goal against Canada the only goal they have conceded this tournament, but it is the only goal they have conceded in their last eight matches. Their defensive capabilities were particularly evident against Spain, as their opponents held 77% of possession, but could only muster one attempt on target. Morocco didn’t even concede from any penalties in the shootout!
The stats from Morocco’s four matches so far show they are a team capable of getting results against teams who will have the ball for significant periods. They have had less possession than their opponents in all four matches, with their highest share being 41% against Canada, and their average share in the tournament is 34%.
Wide attacking midfielder Hakim Ziyech has looked a very different player from the one who has been struggling for Chelsea recently. The 29-year-old has notched up one goal and assist in the tournament so far, but it is his overall presence in games that has caught the eye, and he was one of the standout performers against Belgium and Spain in particular.
Based on recent performances, Portugal will likely be an even tougher test than Spain. After finishing top of Group F, they brushed Switzerland aside with a resounding 6-1 victory in the Last 16 to secure their place in the quarter-finals for the first time since 2006.
Fernando Santos’ decision to leave Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench paid off handsomely, as Goncalo Ramos made the most of his first start of the tournament by scoring a hat-trick.
There will of course be a heavy amount of media focus on whether Ronaldo will start on Saturday, but his teammates are not showing any signs of being distracted by the attention he brings. Their only match so far that did not end in victory was a 2-1 loss to South Korea in their final group game, but Santos made six changes to the team after they had already booked their place in the knockout stages with 3-2 and 2-0 wins against Ghana and Uruguay respectively.
One of the biggest question marks hanging over this Portugal team going into the tournament was whether they could blend together all their attacking talents into a successful unit, and with 12 goals from their first four games, they seem to be doing that. They seemed more dangerous without Ronaldo against Switzerland, creating 15 attempts on goal and nine attempts on target.
Morocco are clear second favourites for this match, but their tendency to shut teams out makes the draw at 3.70 with Bet9ja look appealing, which would leave the tie to be decided by extra time and potentially penalties. Elsewhere, if you think Ramos’ goalscoring form will continue, he is 5.30 to score first and 2.60 to score anytime.
Bet9ja odds (at time of writing): Morocco win: 5.80, Draw: 3.75, Portugal win: 1.70
England vs France
Al Bayt Stadium
Saturday 10th December, 20:00
The feeling going into this one is that whoever wins will have overcome a significant hurdle and will give themselves a great chance to win the tournament, as England meet France in the World Cup finals for the first time since 1982.
Both teams have looked reasonably convincing in their runs to the last eight, but this is a different test entirely. Both won their groups, and progressed through the Last 16 with some comfort, with England beating Senegal 3-0 and France defeating Poland 3-1.
England have become used to reaching the latter stages of major tournaments under the management of Gareth Southgate, after reaching the semi-finals of the last World Cup in 2018 and the final of the European Championship last year.
Some of Southgate’s selections and substitutions have been questioned during this tournament, such as deciding to leave Phil Foden on the bench for the entirety of a 0-0 draw against USA and choosing a fairly conservative midfield against Senegal, starting both Jordan Henderson and Declan Rice alongside Jude Bellingham. But the results have backed up his choices, with three wins and a draw from England’s four matches and three consecutive clean sheets.
Perhaps the greatest cause for concern has been England’s starts to matches. Consecutive 3-0 wins against Wales in the last group game and Senegal in the Last 16 were achieved comfortably in the end, but England took a while to get going in both, with Senegal particularly causing them problems in the opening 30 minutes.
What could really win over many Southgate critics is if he is able to beat one of the main contenders for the tournament and show tactical flexibility if things are not going his way. These were issues that flagged up in the last two tournaments when they were knocked out by Croatia and Italy respectively. Whether he plays a three or four-man defence will be vital on Saturday, particularly if they are to stop France’s Kylian Mbappe.
That brings us on to France, who have only hit top form in patches across the tournament, but that is all they have needed to do. Their most convincing wins have been against Australia, who they beat 4-1 in their opening game, and against Poland in a 3-1 victory in the Last 16. Mbappe has looked unstoppable at times, and he is currently the tournament’s top scorer with five goals, including two against Poland. France boast talent across the pitch, but there is a strong feeling that if a team can stop Mbappe, they can stop the team from ticking.
A key difference between the teams is that France’s manager Didier Deschamps has experience of winning trophies with his team, as he was in charge when they won the 2018 World Cup and the Nations League in 2021.
England could be encouraged though by the fact France are yet to keep a clean sheet in the tournament, conceding a single goal in every game. Also, France’s midfield has been weakened by the absence of Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante due to injury, and this is where England could try and take control of the game; especially with Bellingham showing very strong form against Senegal.
Taking into account France’s lack of clean sheets, the fact the teams have scored 21 goals combined in the tournament (12 for England, nine for France), and of course Mbappe’s form, we are looking at over 2.5 goals at 2.07. First goalscorer is also an interesting market, with Mbappe the favourite at 6.10, and England’s Harry Kane priced at 7.50.
Bet9ja odds (at time of writing): England win: 3.10, Draw: 3.25, France win: 2.50
