WC22 Quarter-Final Preview: betPawa BIG match insights
Which quarter-finalists are going to make it through to the final 4 in Qatar? Here are some insights to help you decide.
Croatia vs Brazil
Stylish Seleção should be physically fresher
Tough toil for the 2018 finalists
Croatia were made to work for their win against Japan, falling behind to a Daizen Maeda goal after sustaining constant blue waves of pressure. They were decidedly second best in the first half. They did gradually get a foothold in the match though, and were good value for their equaliser when Ivan Perišić perfectly angled a powerful header into the bottom corner from a Dejan Lovren cross.
Creative heartbeat Luka Modrić grew into the contest after struggling against Japan’s high press, before being replaced in extra time. They will be hoping that he can recover physically here because everything flows through him for the national team.
Croatia famous for their battling qualities
7 of Croatia’s last 8 knockout games at major tournaments have gone to extra time. This team doesn’t do it the easy way, but they do tend to thrive in these pressure cooker situations. Nerves of steel will be needed against a Brazil team full of confidence.
Speaking of battlers, 20-year-old central defender Joško Gvardiol again showed why so many elite European clubs are monitoring him, with his progressive left-footed passing out from the back and dominance in aerial duels against Japan. He’s been wearing a mask so you can’t miss him.
Tite’s team in cruise control
Brazil were far too good for South Korea, effectively killing off the contest in the first half with 4 goals from 4 different players inside 36 minutes. They took their foot off the gas in the second period, withdrawing key players to get some rest, and some of the entertainment they produced in the first half was bordering on carnival football. There was even some head-juggling from Richarlison.
Neymar showed no ill-effects upon returning after an ankle injury, which is good news if you’re a Brazil fan, and not so good if you’re a Croatian defender. Neymar needs 2 more goals to overtake Pelé as the Seleção’s all-time record scorer. Just an extra bit of incentive.
Friendship put to one side in a key battle for the ages
Luka Modrić and Casemiro have a telepathic understanding after their glittering spell together in the engine room at Real Madrid, and this could be one of the last times they share the grand stage. This time, they’ll do so as adversaries.
Everyone knows about Modrić’s class on the ball as he prompts and probes, while there are not many better in world football than Casemiro at anticipating danger and snuffing it out, before starting his team’s own attacks. Whoever gets control of this individual battle will fancy their chances of making the final 4.
Perišić loves the BIG occasions
Tottenham wing-back Ivan Perišić, now a scorer of 6 World Cup goals, taking him level with the legendary Davor Šuker, will be an important outlet. With Alex Telles out and Alex Sandro a major doubt, regular right-back Danilo will likely continue on the other flank for Brazil, meaning that Perišić will be up against Real Madrid man Eder Militão, a centre-back by trade.
It’s certainly a direct battle to watch closely. Perišić scored in the semi-final against England in 2018 and also got on the scoresheet in the final. This guy has plenty of BMT (BIG match temperament). In a match that Croatia will want to turn into a battle, Perišić is one of their most trusted soldiers.
pawaStat:
Croatia have won all 3 of their WC penalty shootouts, including in back-to-back games en route to the 2018 final
Netherlands vs Argentina
Tactical tussle between Van Gaal and Scaloni
These football powerhouse sides have met 5 times at World Cups, most recently in 2014 when they battled to a 0-0 draw and Argentina eventually prevailed on penalties. There’s every reason to expect that this will be a tight, tense affair.
Dutch must double up on Argentina’s left
Much of the Netherlands’ fortunes will rest on the ball-carrying abilities of Memphis Depay and the power of Cody Gakpo, as well as overlapping runs from their wing-backs. The Oranje gradually wore down a very good USA side with their patient passing, and goals from wing-backs Denzel Dumfries, who was a marauding presence as ever, and a rare strike from Daley Blind, are evidence of how reliant manager Louis van Gaal is on width.
Inter’s Dumfries is a devastating modern defender who could give Sevilla’s Marcos Acuña a tough time, especially aerially at the far post. The physically imposing PSV man Gakpo also likes to occupy that channel, so it’s bound to be a huge test for Argentina’s left-back.
Yet another Argentinian midfield maestro is born
Benfica schemer Enzo Fernández has been a revelation in the deep-lying midfield role for Argentina since starting against Poland in the final group game. He’s precise with his passing (against Australia, he completed 92 of his 100 attempts in that metric), but that’s not to say he isn’t often ambitious and progressive with those passes. He’s tidy off the ball too; the 21-year-old didn’t commit a single foul against the Poles and wasn’t dispossessed once.
Add all of that to his stunning curled effort against Mexico, and he looks like a complete player.
Memphis is now the Netherlands’ go-to man
Where Fernández will be aiming to dictate the tempo and start Argentina’s attacks, the Netherlands will be attempting to weave their positional patterns on the contest and play through him. Their opening goal against USA involved all 11 players and a 20-pass move, eventually finished off by Memphis Depay. It was his 43th goal for the national team, moving him just 7 behind all-time record scorer Robin van Persie.
Throughout a nomadic club career, Memphis has been a constant for his country. It’s obvious that all of the pre-match headlines will revolve around a certain Argentina number 10 but the Netherlands’ 10 isn’t too shabby either.
pawaStat:
Against Australia, Lionel Messi made the 1000th senior appearance of his career: the goal he scored was his 789th, and his first in a World Cup knockout match
Morocco vs Portugal
Atlas Lions an incredibly tough nut to crack
Walid Regragui is doing something very right
Morocco’s epic win on penalties against Spain was just their seventh game under new coach Regragui and it produced a sixth clean sheet. They are yet to concede to an opposition player, with Nayef Aguerd’s own goal against Canada the only blemish on Regragui’s superb defensive record. Interestingly, only 3 of Morocco’s starting 11 against Spain were born in Morocco, but they look like one of the most tightly-knit and united teams on the planet.
It’s no exaggeration to say that the Atlas Lions produced a defensive masterclass against Luis Enrique’s side, enjoying just 23% of the ball possession in a cagey 120 minutes of football. When they did have the ball, however, they used it smartly and looked dangerous in transitions. Although Spain made most of the running and Pablo Sarabia hit the frame of the goal in the dying moments of extra time, it’s not as if Morocco were completely overawed.
There will, however, be huge question marks around the possible participation of Nayef Aguerd and Romain Saïss. If Morocco’s first-choice central defensive duo aren’t fit, that will seriously disrupt Wegragui’s plans.
If Amrabat isn’t already a household name, he should be
Special mention must be made of Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, who marshalled his back 4 with defensive diligence and intelligent distribution. Morocco also looked occasionally threatening with Amrabat’s ability to pass through the lines from deep inside his own half and fearlessly pirouette away from pressure.
Time and time again, he bravely made space for himself where there was very little of it. Amrabat is Morocco’s pressure release valve as the “1” in front of a resolute defence in their 4-1-4-1 shape, and his overall stats against Spain tell their own story. He made a key interception, 4 tackles and completed 78% of his passes.
Hakimi brings the star quality
Speaking of pressure, there was a fair bit of it on Achraf Hakimi’s shoulders as he stepped up to take his penalty, but the Madrid-born Moroccan hit the cheekiest Panenka penalty you’ll ever see and followed it with a little penguin dance in celebration. He shares a dressing room with Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar at PSG, so he shouldn’t be overwhelmed by the sight of Portugal’s stars.
Gonçalo Ramos steps up to the Portugal plate in style
All of the online chatter revolved around Portugal leaving their all-time record goalscorer on the bench in favour of a 21-year-old making his first ever start for his country. Benfica man Ramos handled the pressure in emphatic style, hitting a hat-trick and claiming an assist. His presence in an attacking trio that included João Félix and Bruno Fernandes made the 2016 European champions look more fluid than they have done in a while.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
Portugal boss Fernando Santos is highly unlikely to tinker with a team that hit Switzerland for 6, so Ronaldo will probably once again have a watching brief. There might, however, be a temptation to bring João Cancelo back into the side. 39-year-old Pepe rolled back the years with his goal, becoming the second-oldest scorer in a WC match, after Cameroon legend Roger Milla. This could be an occasion for rugged central defenders to steal the limelight.
Amrabat must look after the fabulous Félix
Sofyan Amrabat is going to have his hands full with a constantly-interchanging Portugal attacking unit that looked slick from the first whistle against the Swiss. In particular, João Félix was picking up pockets of space exactly where Amrabat does most of his patrol work. Félix often came short to collect the ball in his own half before effortlessly driving past markers and opening up space for teammates.
When he’s in full flow, there aren’t many players in the world as stylish as the Atlético Madrid man as he glides across the turf. The €127m price tag has weighed heavily on his shoulders, but in a Portugal jersey he looks as free as a bird right now.
pawaStat:
Gonçalo Ramos is just the fourth player to score a treble at a WC for Portugal, after Eusébio (4 goals in a match in 1966), Pauleta (2002) and Cristiano Ronaldo (2018)
England vs France
Some of the world’s brightest young stars shining bright
Young Lions will improve
Gareth Southgate’s England team found their shooting boots against Senegal, and they haven’t conceded since their opening game. Needless to say, they’re in fine form. Critics of Southgate’s style will say that his side is too negative, but they were pretty free-flowing in a dominant 3-0 win against the African champions. There’s also reason to believe that they’ll get better.
Teenager Jude Bellingham is the youngest England player in history to assist a goal at a World Cup, 21-year-old Bukayo Saka is maturing at an astonishing rate, and 22-year-old Phil Foden is already a 4-time Premier League winner.
Bellingham vs Tchouaméni: Episode 1
Jude Bellingham and Aurélien Tchouaméni are likely to enjoy many midfield battles down the years in important football matches for club and country, and Saturday’s should be an intriguing first instalment.
At 22, Tchouaméni has stepped into the rigours of Real Madrid with effortless aplomb. The fact that nobody within the Bernabéu is all that concerned about Casemiro’s exit is the highest compliment that you can pay the ex-Monaco man. Now he’s done the same for world champions France. Les Bleus had to contend with injuries to both N’Golo Kanté and Paul Pogba in the buildup to Qatar, and Tchouaméni has stepped up in a BIG way.
A man that he will be attempting to shackle is 19-year-old Borussia Dortmund sensation Jude Bellingham. The rave reviews for his performance against Senegal in the last round have poured in from all corners of the globe, but none of us should be all that surprised. Bellingham has been doing this in a Dortmund jersey in the Champions League for a while.
His freakish combination of elegance, composure and running power make him arguably the best teenage footballer on the planet and it’s hard to find any weaknesses in his game. Who knows? Maybe Bellingham and Tchouaméni will line up for the same club side one day, but on Saturday they’ll do battle in a quarter-final that could wind up being remembered as one of the greats.
Mbappé to severely test England’s pace and title credentials
After his double against Poland, Kylian Mbappé has now scored 63 braces for club and country across 356 appearances. There are so many Mbappé statistics and records that are hard to believe, but his sheer presence is enough to frighten defenders. Recent Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema was unfortunately ruled out of the tournament for France, but Mbappé has all of the tools to fill that void. His own Ballon d’Or can’t be too far in the future either.
Perfectly-balanced French attack will relentlessly ask questions
Mbappé’s electric pace, power and clinical finishing are one thing, but there’s also Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud and Ousmane Dembélé. Griezmann is the glue that keeps things ticking over with his technical prowess, Giroud is France’s all-time record goalscorer and supreme in the air, and 2-footed wide man Dembélé has shrugged off injuries and issues with form to become a world-beater. Harry Maguire’s critics are some of the loudest pundits on the planet, and he’s about to face the ultimate test.
We could be in for a classic.
pawaStat:
Kylian Mbappé was the second teenager to score twice in a WC game and the second teenager to score in a WC final; Pelé was first to do both
