Netherlands and Morocco meet in World Cup knockout test
The round-of-32 match in Monterrey pits two unbeaten top-10 sides, with Canada awaiting the winner in the last 16.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
The Netherlands and Morocco meet Monday in Monterrey in a World Cup round-of-32 match between two unbeaten, top-10 teams. The winner will move on to face Canada in the round of 16 after Canada beat South Africa 1-0, according to Al Jazeera.
The match is scheduled for Monday, June 29, at Monterrey Stadium in Mexico, with kickoff at 7pm local time, or 01:00 GMT on Tuesday. Al Jazeera reported that no injuries have been announced by either team.
How the teams got here
The Netherlands won Group F after opening with a 2-2 draw against Japan, beating Sweden 5-1 and then defeating Tunisia 3-1. Al Jazeera reported that the Dutch scored 10 goals in the group stage, led by Brian Brobbey with three.
Crysencio Summerville and Cody Gakpo each scored twice for the Netherlands, while Virgil van Dijk and Jan Paul van Hecke also scored. Denzel Dumfries and Ryan Gravenberch each had two assists, according to Al Jazeera.
Morocco finished second in Group C, behind Brazil on goal difference, after drawing Brazil 1-1, beating Scotland 1-0 and defeating Haiti 4-2. Ismael Saibari scored three of Morocco’s six group-stage goals, while Soufiane Rahimi, Achraf Hakimi and Gessime Yassine also scored.
Saibari, who plays for PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands, could match Roger Milla’s African World Cup scoring record if he scores Monday, according to Al Jazeera. Milla scored four goals for Cameroon at World Cups.
Coaches expect a difficult matchup
Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman said the game has arrived earlier than he would have liked for two teams he believes are capable of advancing deeper in the tournament. Al Jazeera reported that Koeman still plans to send out an attacking side against Morocco, who are ranked sixth by FIFA, one place above the Netherlands.
Morocco coach Nabil Ouahbi said his team’s group-stage results will not carry much weight once the knockout match begins. Ouahbi told reporters that Monday’s game will demand different answers from his players, according to Al Jazeera.
Morocco have now reached the knockout stage at consecutive World Cups, joining Nigeria and Ghana as the only African teams to do so, Al Jazeera reported. Morocco’s best World Cup came in 2022, when they became the first African and Arab team to reach the semifinals.
History and prediction
The Netherlands and Morocco have met once before at the World Cup, with the Dutch winning 2-1 in 1994. Al Jazeera reported that the Netherlands are unbeaten in six World Cup matches against African opponents, with five wins and one draw.
Opta’s supercomputer gives the Netherlands a 45 percent chance of winning in regulation time. Morocco are rated at 26 percent, while the chance of extra time or penalties is 29 percent.
Expected lineups
Netherlands: Verbruggen; Dumfries, Van Hecke, Van Dijk, Van de Ven; Gravenberch, De Jong, Reijnders; Malen, Brobbey, Gakpo.
Morocco: Bounou; Hakimi, Diop, Riad, Mazraoui; El Aynaoui, Bouaddi; Diaz, Ounahi, El Khannouss; Saibari.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.