Category: Football

Predictions 31.12.2022-03.01.2023

Post author By yonathan
Post date December 31, 2022

Football

Manchester City vs Everton | Premier League

31/12/2022 15:00

Prediction: 3-1

Manchester City, led by Pep Guardiola, maintains its lead over Arsenal. The citizens are five miles from the gunners, and on Saturday, they will challenge Everton at home. Haaland and his companions restarted after the World Cup with a clear 3-1 success against Leeds away, the fourth in the last five matchdays, and they fly thanks to the best attack of the tournament (43 goals).

Everton are fourth from bottom in the table with 14 points, plus one on the relegation zone, and are in full crisis after three defeats in a row, including a 2-1 loss at home to Wolverhampton in a head-to-head crucial to the race to stay in the Premier League.

Manchester City has scored more than 3.5 goals in eight of the fifteen games played.
The citizens have the best attack in the league with 43 goals in 15 days.
Guardiola’s team has won 11 out of 15 matches and four of their last five in the Premier League.
Everton have now lost four of their last five away games.
Manchester City have won their last ten games against Everton, with five of them ending in Over 3.5 goals.

Brighton vs Arsenal | Premier League

31/12/2022 17:30

Prediction: 2-1

Saturday, December 31: A high-flying Premier League clash with Arsenal leading with 40 points, plus five on Manchester City, who face De Zerbi’s Brighton, seventh at 24 and fighting for a place in Europe. The Italian coach is not making Potter regret it; in the championship, he has won three of the last four games, including the first after the break for the World Cup, 3-1 on the Southampton field.

Arsenal are a near-perfect machine going into their 16th league game with 13 wins, one draw, and just one defeat. If this weren’t enough to make the Gunners favorites, there is still a streak of four wins in a row (against West Ham, Wolves, Chelsea, and Nottingham) left.

Arsenal have the second-best attack in the Premier League with 36 goals in 15 games.
All of Brighton’s last five games in the Premier League have finished with the Over 2.5.
The last two precedents have ended with at least three goals, including the one played on November 9 in the Cup (3-1 for Brighton).
Brighton have scored ten goals in their last four Premier League games; Arsenal have scored 11 in the same period.

Barcelona vs Espanyol | La Liga

31/12/2022 13:00

Prediction: 2-1

The resumption of La Liga after the World Cup immediately gives fans a very interesting challenge: The Catalan derby between Barcelona and Espanyol is scheduled for New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2022, at the Camp Nou. The Blaugrana, coached by Xavi, must defend first place from the attack of Real Madrid, the only team with which they will most likely fight for the title given that the third team in the standings, Real Sociedad, is already 11 points behind the top. Barça closed the first phase of the season with a 1-2 victory at Osasuna. Espanyol, on the other hand, is once again engaged in the race for salvation, and in the last league match before the break, they lost on their own pitch against Villarreal 0-1. Coach Diego Martínez’s team then played two matches in the Copa del Rey, winning both, and on December 20, they already made their official return to the field, winning against Atletico Paso, also in the cup, 0-1.

Barcelona returns to play an official match more than a month and a half after the last one. Before this match, they obtained 4 consecutive successes between the championship and the cups. Taking only the Liga into consideration, the Catalans won the last 5 games, conceding only one goal in the last match played in Pamplona against Osasuna. Espanyol played two Copa del Rey matches between November and December, winning both away games without conceding a goal. In the championship, on the other hand, he hasn’t won for 5 rounds, and in this part of the season, he has totaled 3 draws and 2 defeats.

Barcelona has won 12 of its last 13 league games.
Espanyol has won only 2 of its last 21 league games.
Barcelona has won their last three games against Espanyol, taking the lead early in the first half.
In the last 6 home games against Espanyol, Barcelona have never conceded a goal.
Barcelona have won the last 6 league games played at the Camp Nou and have not conceded a goal in the last 7.

Football

The Greatest Footballers Never to Play in a World Cup

Post author By yonathan
Post date December 29, 2022

Football

Playing in the World Cup is the dream of all kids who kick a ball, but there are few who manage to make it happen. And it doesn’t even mean that becoming a football champion necessarily leads to taking the field in the world championship event.

This is demonstrated by the stories of many players who, despite being among the best of their generations, have not had the opportunity to play in a World Cup. And the reasons are different. There are those who were limited by a non-leading national team, those who were great at the wrong time, and those who, more simply and practically, sabotaged themselves.

The stories of Weah, Giggs, and Litmanen
The legend of George Best
Cantona is not a prophet in France.
The cases of Schuster and Nainggolan
Haaland will play in the next World Cup.

The stories of Weah, Giggs, and Litmanen

Among those who have had the problem of the non-competitive national team, there is certainly George Weah. The Ballon d’Or 1995 could have played with France and probably would have been the center forward in the World Cup won by the Transalpines in 1998, but the fact that he had chosen Liberia way back in 1987 prevented him from being able to even imagine taking part in the World Cup.

For King George, there were four attempts to qualify with the national team (1990, 1994, 1998, 2002), but unfortunately for him, the only real chance to make it in 2002 slipped away on the last day.

Ryan Giggs has a similar story, as he has always missed the World Cup due to team and family obligations. The Manchester United legend, who was always favored among the Champions League odds, could have worn the glorious shirt of England, but he should have been known as… Ryan Wilson, or rather, like his father. But because of how bad his relationship was with his father, he had to take his mother’s last name and nationality.

Thus was born Ryan Giggs, who in his career will never be able to help Wales qualify for the World Cup. And to think that in 2022 he could have been on the bench as a coach if his problems with justice hadn’t forced him to leave the selection committee!

Another nineties star also never had the chance to prove himself on the biggest stage. Jari Litmanen was the most important player for European champions Ajax for many years and also wore the Barcelona shirt during his career, which spanned more than two decades.

It’s too bad that Finland has never been able to give him a great team that could help him try to qualify for the World Cup, especially when there were fewer teams competing.

The legend of George Best

Another Ballon d’Or winner who was unable to play in the World Cup is George Best. The Northern Irishman was born… too late to play for the 1958 national team, which advanced to the quarterfinals.

At the same time, when Northern Ireland returned to the World Cup in 1982, he had already begun his downward spiral, and he retired in 1986.

In the end, “The Best” went to Spain in 1982 anyway, but… as a commentator to follow his national team!

Cantona was unlucky with France.

Eric Cantona was also born at the wrong time. The Frenchman is twenty when he plays in Mexico and is not yet on the national team.

The French team then missed two consecutive qualifiers, in 1990 and 1994. In 1987, he publicly insults the coach, Henri Michel, and is excluded from the selection. Platini takes him to the 1992 European Championships, but then Houllier arrives, and the transalpine team fails to qualify for the American World Cup with him.

Maybe Jacquet would also call him in 1998, but by then, the famous number 7 had already retired.

The cases of Schuster and Nainggolan

Then there’s the other side of the coin: the players who instead played (or still play) for competitive national teams but were always left off the lists when it came to starting the World Cup due to issues with the coaches.

One of the most famous is certainly the German Bernd Schuster, who won the European Championships with West Germany and who, with clubs (Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid), brought home several trophies. However, there are federation issues with the national team, which erupted when a player refused to play against Albania because his child was born. And therefore, not even 25-year-old Schuster leaves the Mannschaft.

A more recent example is that of Radja Nainggolan. The Belgians lost both the 2014 and 2018 World Cups. Good performances with Cagliari and Roma are not enough to fly to Brazil, while in 2018, he was one of the best midfielders in Serie A and a more than credible option, even as a goal scorer, for the Champions League odds. The friction begins with CT Martinez, who does not appreciate his behavior off the pitch and decides not to call him up.

And now that Belgium has played in Qatar, the Ninja has moved away from the football that matters.

Haaland will play in the next World Cup.

In this discussion, one cannot help but ask one thing: will the hat-trick specialist Erling Haaland be able to play in a World Cup?

The Norwegian finds himself playing with a national team that is not of the highest level, but he can benefit from the next enlargement of the 2026 World Cup from the current 32 participating teams to 48.

When we consider the growth of the Scandinavian nation’s movement, it is possible that the Manchester City cyborg will appear in future editions. And if not, he will still be in excellent company.

Football

The new regulation for players’ agents

Post author By yonathan
Post date December 23, 2022

Football

The new regulation for players’ agents

The never-ending battle between FIFA and the players agents continues. Over the last few years, the international federation has attempted to limit the influence of player agents while also attempting to reduce the cost of commissions, which have recently become one of the major expenditure elements for clubs, particularly high-level clubs.

As a result, FIFA has created a new regulation for the agent profession, which will go into effect in June 2023. So here’s what will change compared to the current situation:

The prohibition of multiple representation
Commission limit
The reintroduction of the register
The Football Forum and the agents

The prohibition of multiple representation

The prohibition on multiple representation is perhaps the most important point.In fact, there are quite a few cases in which an agent represents not only the player but also the club that sells and/or buys, thus earning commissions from all parties involved. From June 2023, this will no longer be the case, with the agent having to represent only one of the three positions.

The only exception is the possibility that an agent represents both the player and the selling team, but always on the condition that multiple representation is specifically accepted by both parties, which, therefore, in terms of regulation, can no longer be “imposed.”

Since the payment must go through FIFA’s clearing house, it can only be made by the agent’s client and not by anyone else involved in the negotiation.

Commission limit

From an economic point of view, the big change instead comes with a precise limit on commissions. Depending on the litigant represented, there is a cap on how much the attorney can earn.

If the agent is working for the player, the maximum commission is 5% for salaries of less than €200,000. If the salary is more than €200,000, the commission drops to 3%.

The values are the same even if the agent represents the club that buys the player. So, in the case of agreed-upon double representation, the highest commission is 10% if the salary is less than €200,000 and 6% if the salary is more than €200,000. When the agent instead represents the club that sells the player, the maximum commission allowed is 10% of the operation’s cost.

The reintroduction of the register

Lastly, the latest step toward making the job of agents more stable is the return of the register of agents, which requires a test and an annual fee to be paid.

FIFA, which over the last few decades, i.e., since the players’ agents began to have a certain influence on the market, has changed its mind several times, first by creating the register, then by abolishing the examination, and finally by allowing free representation.

The Football Forum and the agents

The goal is now (again) to write down the names of those who can actually work in the environment while also imposing legal and moral registration requirements.In fact, it will not be possible to become an agent if you have been convicted of serious crimes or if there are cases of conflict of interest.

In short, the conflict continues, with FIFA attempting to limit the influence of the agents, while they, paradoxically, believe they have little influence and have created Football Forum, an association imagined by the late Mino Raiola and on which, they will work constructively with the chosen heir Rafaela Pimenta, whose goal is to improve relations with other football interest groups.

Football

Players who have scored a hat trick in the World Cup final

Post author By yonathan
Post date December 23, 2022

Football

In the history of the World Cup, Kylian Mbappé became the second player to ever score a hat trick in the final. Leo Messi capped off an incredible career by leading Argentina to victory in the World Cup. On the other hand, the other number 10, Kylian Mbappé, entered the stage as well. The French talent showed itself after approximately 80 minutes had passed with only one shot, which went just wide of the goal and a bit more.

However, despite his remarkable incisiveness, it was not enough for him; still, the albiceleste climbed to the top of the world by winning the penalty shootout lottery. Speaking of hat tricks, there was also another player in the history of the World Cup to score three goals in the final before the Frenchman.

World Cup: Players who have scored a hat trick in the final

Kylian Mbappé is only the second player in the tournament’s history to have the ability to score three goals in the final game. As was mentioned earlier, the PSG star did not show his true potential until the final match. He scored a brace in fewer than 90 seconds to put his country back on track with a goal of exceptional workmanship for the second goal.

Mbappé displayed the utmost composure and scored the 3-3 penalty a few minutes from the conclusion of the second extra time, which enabled his team to advance to the penalty shoot-out and win the match. Despite this, Mbappé also had a hand in extra time and played a crucial role in the game. Due to the errors committed by Coman and Tchouameni, the Albiceleste won the eleven-meter shot lottery.

Despite this, Mbappé’s performance was outstanding, even though he did not win the World Cup for the second time in his career despite being only 23 years old. However, despite being only 23, he is now the footballer who has scored the most goals in the history of a World Cup final. After scoring the game-winning goal against Croatia in 2018, he now has four goals to his name. Behind him are four of the greatest players of all time: Pelé, Zidane, Vavà, and Hurst.

Geoff Hurst is the only other player besides Kylian Mbappé who was capable of scoring three goals in the World Cup final. Mbappé has already accomplished this feat. The match was between England and Germany. After equalizing the initial German lead in the 18th minute of the first half of the 1966 World Cup final, Hurst reactivated only in extra time, scoring in the 101st and 120th minutes to give his England the only Cup of the World in its history and the only trophy won by the senior England national team to this day.

The World Cup that ended a few days later did nothing but confirm how much Mbappé had the potential to become something even bigger and, at the same time, unmanageable for the opponents in the middle of the field. His accelerations that tear apart the field and leave defenders speechless have become more constant; his dribbling has improved, becoming more unpredictable; and the accuracy and quality of the shot have become impressive.

Nevertheless, there is one element about his cold blood that, more than anything else, takes us by surprise. The frantic behavior that he displays physically in the middle of the field is completely at odds with his spirit, which is calm and is never put under any kind of pressure.

During the final against Argentina, Mbappé was glacial on several occasions, such as during the three penalties he kicked and converted. Now the Frenchman has gone from being a wonderkind to being a superstar: a celestial body with a gravity so strong that it absorbs light. On the pitch, he outshines others with an uncontrollable flair while attracting all the attention of defenders to himself. It is thanks to this exaggerated power that Mbappé could take home the Ballon d’Or in 2023.

Football

The new list of the world’s ten highest-paid players!

Post author By yonathan
Post date December 22, 2022

Football

With the transfer to Al-Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo becomes, by detachment, not only the highest-paid player in the world but also the athlete who earns the most from his seasonal contract.

The 189 million that the Saudi team offered him allows him to easily overtake even the stars of sports made in the USA, with LeBron James slightly exceeding the 100 million emoluments from the Lakers. When compared to colleagues, the gap is enormous: the five-time Ballon d’Or winner will earn twice as much as the runner-up in the standings in Saudi Arabia, and nearly ten times as much as those in the top ten…

The podium belongs to Ronaldo, Mbappè, and Messi.
Positions are being gained by Neymar, Salah, and Halland.
Lewa is overpaid by Barca, and Real has the Hazard problem.
Iniesta and KDB round out the Top Ten.

The podium belongs to Ronaldo, Mbappè, and Messi.

The number two on the list is, in fact, Kylian Mbappé. The Frenchman, strengthened by an expiring contract, has definitely forced his hand with Paris Saint-Germain. In order to keep him under the Eiffel Tower, the club in the French capital had to make a considerable economic effort, making him sign a three-year contract that brings the remarkable sum of 104 million euros per season into the pockets of the transalpine.

The great rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi completes the top three. La Pulce’s income didn’t change much when he moved from “his” Barcelona to PSG. The French club offered him a contract very similar to the one that created so many budgetary problems for the Blaugrana. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner in the Ville Lumiere earns 61.5 million euros a season.

Positions are being gained by Neymar, Salah, and Halland.

Out of the top three, and this is quite newsworthy, the last of the PSG golden trio. In 2021, after a long back and forth with the club, Neymar renewed his contract until 2026 (with the option to make it last even another year longer), increasing his salary. For the Brazilian, bought from Barcelona in 2017 for 222 million euros, the new agreement speaks of 52 million euros per season.

The others then appear, starting with another player who recently renewed his contract. In July 2022, Mohamed Salah announced that he would remain at Liverpool until 2025. The figures of the agreement are very important because the former Roma player has put his signature on a contract that guarantees him 33.2 million euros all year long.

Very similar figures for what is definitely the most important purchase of the 2022 summer market. Erling Haaland didn’t cost Manchester City much, given that the English “only” had to pay 60 million euros to pay the Norwegian’s release clause to Borussia Dortmund.

However, when there was talk of a contract, the figures definitely increased, considering that the former Salzburg center forward, an extraordinary striker for football betting, has signed an agreement until 2027 that allows him to earn 33.1 million euros per season.

Cristiano RONALDO-189M
Kylian MBAPPE-104M
Lionel MESSI-61,5M
NEYMAR Jr-52,0M
Mohamed SALAH-33,2M
Erling HAALAND-33,1M
Robert LEWANDOWSKI-25,6M
Eden HAZARD-25,5M
Andrés INIESTA-23,6M
Kevin de BRUYNE-23,6M

Lewa is overpaid by Barca, and Real has the Hazard problem.

Another fairly recent transfer is that of Robert Lewandowski, who left Bayern Munich to settle in Barcelona for around 50 million euros. And the signing of the Polish center forward is not cheap either for the Blaugranas, who accepted a very important offer that brings in a good 25.6 million euros every season.

There is also room for what can, without any hesitation, be defined as a flop. When in 2019 Real Madrid buys Eden Hazard for $100 million (which will later turn out to be even more) from Chelsea, the idea is that they have secured Cristiano Ronaldo’s heir.

And the Belgian, who also takes the number 7 shirt, signs a monstrous contract. Hazard is the only one to be included in the “Ballon d’Or” category of the Blancos and gets a deal worth 25.5 million euros per season until 2023. Given the results, it was not exactly a forward-looking choice by Real.

Iniesta and KDB round out the Top Ten.

Rounding out the top 10 are two great midfielders, who have the same salary but are in decidedly different situations. The first is Andres Iniesta, who is enjoying life in Japan with his Vissel Kobe shirt.

The Illusionist decided to fly to the land of the rising sun in 2018, and he did so with an important deal that allows him to earn 23.6 million euros per season. How does the Japanese club allow them? Easy, there’s Rakuten, whose image man Don Andres has been for years, who lends a hand (and creates multimedia content for the 2010 world champion).

And finally, there is Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian also earns 23.6 million euros a year at Manchester City, but his story is decidedly particular. The midfielder has in fact decided to fire his agent and manage the negotiations for the renewal of his contract on his own.

And he presented himself to the management with a series of reports and statistics to mathematically demonstrate (if needed) his centrality in Pep Guardiola’s team. Convincing arguments brought him a renewal worth its weight in gold!

Football

Last edition for CR7 and Messi?

Post author By yonathan
Post date December 22, 2022

Football

Are we sure it will be the last edition for CR7 and Messi?

One of the questions that arises regarding the 2022 World Cup is closely linked to two of the most famous and loved footballers in the history of football: will those in Qatar be the last World Cup for Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?

Yes, according to their identification cards. The Portuguese was born in 1985, while the Argentinas was born in 1987. And considering that at the next edition, that of 2026, they would be 41 and 39, respectively, it is not easy to imagine them still on the field.

The last dance for CR7 and Messi?
Qatar 2022 is the fifth World Cup for both
All of Ronaldo and Leo’s World Cup records
Only in Brazil in 2014 did the real Messi emerge.
CR7’s hat-trick against Spain in the 2018 Cup
The last time for many stars

The last dance for CR7 and Messi?

But, of course, there is a “but.” Cristiano Ronaldo was clear from this point of view: He is aiming at least for the 2024 European Championships, after which he will take stock to understand if his physical condition will allow him to hope to take part in the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. But if we take into consideration what happened during this edition, things get difficult.

Different story for Messi, who struggled with the national team before the World Cup and frequently considered leaving the Albiceleste. Winning the Copa America in 2021 reintroduced him to the world stage.

And it’s easier to imagine that La Pulce will retire from international football in the event of a victory in Qatar than if Argentina does not triumph.

Qatar 2022 is the fifth World Cup for both

For both champions, this is the fifth World Cup. Both Messi and Ronaldo made their debut on the world stage in the 2006 edition, then took part in those of 2010, 2014, and 2018.

Unfortunately for them, however, the World Cup is not on their resume, with Argentina losing the 2014 final against Germany in extra time and Portugal having the best result in the four editions with CR7 on the pitch. fourth place in 2006.

All of Ronaldo and Leo’s World Cup records

Strange to say, for two who have grinded record after record in their careers, the total of goals in the World Cup, prior to Qatar 2022, for Messi and Ronaldo is quite disappointing. Cristiano Ronaldo wins with seven goals to Lionel Messi’s six. And, given that Miroslav Klose holds the competition goal scoring record with 16, it is clear how far ahead he is.

As is the podium, given that the other Ronaldo, the Brazilian one, has 15 world cup goals, and Gerd Müller rounds out the top three with 13 goals.

Indeed, in hindsight, both Messi and Ronaldo have always had some difficulty doing well during the World Cup, to the point that a large part of their total goals came in a single edition.

Only in Brazil in 2014 did the real Messi emerge.

For the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, the year of grace was 2014, when he scored 4 of his 6 goals, all of them in the group stage: one against Bosnia, one against Iran, and two against Nigeria. It’s a shame, however, that La Pulce failed to score in the following matches, particularly in the World Cup final, where a goal could have meant the difference between winning and losing.

And speaking of running out of luck, the data concerning Messi is clear: in 2010, when he was the best in the world and was on fire with Barcelona, always the favorite, even in the year of the Nerazzurri treble, for the Champions League odds, the Argentine did not score a single goal at the World Cup, as he did in 2006 (against Serbia) and 2018 (against Nigeria).

CR7’s hat-trick against Spain in the 2018 Cup

The best edition for the Portuguese is instead that of 2018, when Portugal was eliminated in the round of 16, but Cristiano Ronaldo still managed to score four goals. Three of his four goals came in just one game, a 3-3 tie with Spain in the group stage.

The other CR7 goal was scored against Morocco, allowing his national team to win the match 1-0. But then he failed both against Iran and in the knockout match against Uruguay. Unlike Messi, however, Ronaldo has always scored at least once in all the editions in which he has participated: in 2006, he hit Iran; in 2010, North Korea; and in 2014, Ghana.

The last time for many stars

And even if for Messi and CR7 the one in Qatar is not the last world cup, it is very probable, at least according to the identity card, that other stars will end their careers with the national team in the Persian Gulf.

This should be the case for Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani, and Diego Godin in Uruguay, who will put an end to the Celeste cycle.

It is also possible that in Qatar there is the last chance for Manuel Neuer and Thomas Müller of Germany, favorites with their Bayern team to win the Champions League, for Karim Benzema, Hugo Lloris, and Olivier Giroud in France, for Sergio Ramos and Sergio Busquets in Spain, for Thiago Silva in Brazil, and for Luka Modric in Croatia.

Of course, unless these super champions, who already seem eternal, decide not to let time win!

Football

Predictions Argentina vs France – World Cup Final

Post author By yonathan
Post date December 17, 2022

Football

Prediction: 0-0

Here we are at the final of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. There is great anticipation for the challenge of the Lusail Iconic Stadium in Lusail, on Sunday, December 18, 2022, where Argentina and title holders France will compete for the 22nd edition of the top world football event. It will also be a challenge in the match between two Paris Saint-Germain stars: on the one hand, the veteran Lionel Messi, and on the other, the certainty of the present and future Kylian Mbappé. Both teams have a chance to become the first team in World Cup history to win three titles.

We’ve reached the final act of a grueling month; there’s exhaustion, but also determination and a desire to raise the cup to heaven. In the end, in a duel that is evenly matched, the tidier team that can handle the tension better will win. In the semi-final against Croatia, Argentina did it very well by sending Luka Modric and his companions to the consolation “final” with a 3-0, which didn’t allow for replies even when the bowls were still. Leo Messi and Julian Alvarez, twice, took Argentina to the fifth final in their history after a match in which, however, the Selección had only 39% of ball possession and shot 10 times on target on 7 occasions. France surprised Morocco with a 2-0 victory, which sparked more controversy. Goals from Théo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani counterbalanced a match in which the Moroccans produced the most amount of play and quality, masters of the field with 61% of ball possession. However, the transalpine team shot 14 times, but they only hit the target on the occasion of the 2 goals.

Argentina leads the head-to-head series with six victories, while France has three draws and three victories.
The two teams met three times in the World Cup, with Argentina winning 1-0 in 1930 and 2-1 in 1978, while France won the most recent matchup 4-3.
Argentina have scored at least 1 goal in every World Cup match and, across all competitions, have scored in 15 straight games.
Lionel Messi has scored in 5 out of 6 games in this edition of the World Cup.
France have scored in 6 of their last 7 matches played in a World Cup. They only missed out on success in the 1-0 defeat against Tunisia.
France have won 9 of their last 10 World Cup matches.
Argentina have scored at least 2 goals in their last 5 matches at a World Cup, while France have done so in 6 of their last 7 World Cup matches.

Football

Predictions Croatia vs Morocco – World Cup Third Place Playoff

Post author By yonathan
Post date December 17, 2022

Football

Croatia vs Morocco | World Cup

17.12.2022 15:00

Prediction: 1-0

Saturday, December 17 is the penultimate act of the World Cup in Qatar; in fact, the final for third and fourth place will be played between Croatia and Morocco. The two teams were only eliminated in the semi-final by Argentina and France, respectively, Sunday’s finalists, after a long and excellent journey. The Croatians risked reaching the final for the second time in a row; in 2018, they were defeated by France, while the Atlas Lions brought an African national team up to this point in the World Cup for the first time in history. So it won’t be just a consolation challenge; both teams will want to win to get on the podium of the world championship. The match will be played at the Khalifa International Stadium and will be the second occasion on which the two teams will compete in this World Cup.

Croatia and Morocco have already faced each other in the first match of the group, drawing 0-0, a result that has allowed both to remain hooked on the qualification, which has then been conquered thanks to victories over Canada and on par with Belgium for the Croatians and a double success over them and the North Americans for the Moroccans. Dalic’s selection before the match against Argentina had managed to eliminate the favorite Brazil on penalties and one of the surprises of the first phase, Japan. The strength of the Croatians has always been the group in addition to its defensive organization; they scored only two passive goals before the collapse against Albiceleste.

A point of contact with the next opponents given that Morocco had arrived at the match against France with only one goal conceded, among other things an own goal in the match already closed with Canada. Amrabat and his teammates’ journey was extraordinary in the rounds following the group, with the elimination of Spain and Portugal and a national team, perhaps even a continent to dream big. The grand final hasn’t arrived, but public opinion and the very hot Moroccan fans in Qatar will certainly try to push the players towards success in a final, which for the Lions of the Atlas is not a consolation but a demonstration of having entered the heart of world football.

Three of Croatia’s six matches at the World Cup have ended in goals from both sides.
The Croatians have won eight of their last eleven matches, losing just one.
Morocco have scored in three of their six World Cup matches.
Croatia has conceded at least one goal in all of their matches in the qualifying rounds in Qatar.
Four of the last seven official matches played by the Croatians ended with a goal.

Football

Predictions France vs Morocco – World Cup semi-final

Post author By yonathan
Post date December 13, 2022

Football

France vs Morocco | World Cup

13.12.2022 19:00

Prediction: 2-0

France, the reigning champions, challenges Morocco, the first African team in history to reach a World Cup semi-final. It is a particular challenge that goes beyond just football reasons; to push Morocco, there will be an entire continent that hopes to go on to conquer the first world title after an extraordinary ride that saw Ziyech and his companions eliminate teams of the caliber of Belgium, Spain, and Portugal, never losing and conceding a single goal. For its part, France can complete the world double, a feat only achieved by Italy (1934–1938) and Brazil (1958–1962), after defeating England and Poland in direct challenges and finishing first in the group. It is played at Al-Bayt in Al-Khawr, and whoever wins will meet Croatia and Argentina in the final.

Two teams in superb form face off in the semifinals of the World Cup. France won four games out of five, against Australia, Denmark, Poland, and England, losing only to Tunisia in their last and irrelevant group game. The Transalpines have an atomic attack; they scored 11 goals (only England and Portugal did better but were eliminated) and shot toward the opponent’s goal on average 15.6 times per game (only Germany and Brazil have a better statistic in this sense, but they too are out of the picture). The defense, on the other hand, creaks, and in this World Cup, they have conceded a goal in every game.

Morocco is writing history thanks to an organized team with many talents that are shining in Qatar. The North African side comes into the match unbeaten, with two draws against Croatia and Spain (which they later won on penalties) and three victories against Belgium, Canada, and Portugal. The team’s defensive phase was impressive; in five games, they have conceded only one goal, their own goal against Canada, when the match was already 2-0 up and the next round was in the pocket. Morocco, on the other hand, is a sporting miracle: including World Cup matches, they have not lost in 12 matches, with 9 wins and three draws, resulting in a fairy tale that begins from afar.

Morocco has scored five goals in five World Cup matches.
France have 11 goals to their credit and have scored at least two on four out of five occasions.
France have conceded and scored at least one goal in four out of five matches.
The last meeting between the two teams ended 2-2.
The French have the best pair of goals in the World Cup; Giroud and Mbappé have scored nine goals in two games.
Morocco have scored at least one goal in nine of their last thirteen matches and in three of their five World Cup matches.

Football

Predictions Argentina vs Croatia – World Cup semi-final

Post author By yonathan
Post date December 12, 2022

Football

Argentina vs Croatia| World Cup

13.12.2022 19:00

Prediction: 2-1

For the sixth time in their history and the third time in a World Cup, Argentina and Croatia will face each other. The stakes are very high because at the Lusail Iconic Stadium in Lusail, the two teams will compete for a place in the very final of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Both teams are coming back from semi-final matches that ended in penalties. Argentina beat the Netherlands, and Croatia beat a surprise team. Brazil was thought to be the favorite to win the title.

Following their respective penalty shootout victories, both teams are buzzing with excitement. Zlatko Dalic’s Croatia, the reigning runners-up in the world, are the only team of the two teams still undefeated in this edition of the World Cup, given that Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina, on the other hand, was knocked out surprisingly in the debut against Saudi Arabia. The Argentinians were unable to dominate the Netherlands even though they had control of the game, and at the end of the 120-minute match, ball possession was only 47%. Messi and his teammates have tried to score on 11 occasions, but only 4 times have they put the ball in the back of the net. As mentioned, Croatia seemed to be the “killer” of Brazil, and instead, the defensive distractions cost the Seleçao dearly. The Croatian ball possession was on par with the Brazilian one, at 50%, while there were just 8 shots, of which one went into goalkeeper Allison’s net.

The head-to-head balance tells us that the two teams recorded 2 wins each and 1 draw.
It will be their third meeting at the World Cup after Argentina won 1-0 in 1998 and Croatia 3-0 in 2018.
Croatia is unbeaten in this edition of the World Cup, where they drew (in 90 minutes) 4 out of 5 games.
Argentina is coming off 4 positive results in this World Cup, and in each of these matches, they have scored at least 2 goals.
Argentina has scored at least one goal in each of the World Cup’s five games.
Argentina have scored at least 1 goal in each of their last 14 games played across all competitions.
Argentina scored the 1st goal of the match in their last 10 games in all competitions.