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Morocco will take on Portugal in the quarter-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup at the Thumama Stadium in Qatar on Saturday, December 10.
The Moroccans are yet to be defeated in this year's edition of the World Cup competition and will be looking to extend their four-game unbeaten run.
Portugal, on the other hand, will be looking to replicate their decent performance in their previous game where they defeated Switzerland 6-1 in the Round of 16 clash.
This game is crucial as a win for either side will send them into the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. On that note, this article will look at three key individual battles that could determine the outcome of this encounter.
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#3 Bruno Fernandes vs Sofyan Amrabat
Fernandes is arguably Portugal's best-performing player in the competition so far and his attacking contributions have been significant for head coach Fernando Santos.
The Manchester United midfielder is creative and his ability to make good use of the little pockets of space in attack is remarkable. Furthermore, his vision in attack is outstanding as he has netted two goals and has registered three assists in the 2022 FIFA World Cup competition so far.
Monitoring his movement's around the edge of the opposition's box is a difficult task and Amrabat will have to be very sharp and defensively alert if he intends to keep Fernandes under check.
However, Amrabat’s defensive intuition has been outstanding as he has helped the Moroccan defense in registering three clean sheets in four games in the Qatar 2022 World Cup competition so far.
It will be interesting to see if he can silence the Portuguese talisman in this encounter.
#2 Hakim Ziyech vs Raphaël Guerreiro
Ziyech is one of Morocco's most experienced players and his presence has been significant for his team.
The Chelsea forward is one of the Moroccans who's expected to trouble the Portuguese defense as his attacking proficiency is immense. Affording him enough room on the right flank could be dangerous as his ability to properly place the ball in the back of the net is outstanding.
Portugal's left-back Guerreiro will have to monitor his movement and avoid excessive overlapping if he intends to keep Ziyech under his radar.
However, Guerreiro has proven to be a decent left-back as he has netted one goal and registered two assists in three games so far. He's one of the defenders that the Moroccans should keep an eye on.
#1 Gonçalo Ramos vs Romain Saïss
There’s no doubt that Ramos's incredible performance last time out has given him the edge over Cristiano Ronaldo in Portugal's starting XI.
One unique thing about the Benfica forward is his remarkable finishing ability as he has proven that he can score from any position in the final third of the pitch. Affording enough room to explore in attack could be deadly and Saiss will have to be very alert if he intends to silence Ramos in this encounter.
However, Saiss is highly experienced and his defensive intuition is remarkable as he has helped his nation in registering three clean sheets in four games so far. It will be interesting to see if he can keep Ramos under his tabs in this encounter.
