Netherlands – Morocco

Morocco will advance to the next round of the tournament.

History of the Netherlands national team's performances at the World Cup has not left its current representatives in peace and continues to do so. The Orange team is the only one in the world that has previously reached the finals of three World Cups, but suffered humiliating defeats in them. The relentless discussion of this historical sequence, one way or another, has affected and continues to affect the minds of Ronald Koeman's players. Is the current generation of Dutch footballers capable of lifting this burden from their country once and for all? As the group stage of the current World Cup has shown, under the Orange banner a strong group of players has emerged, who have revealed themselves in a new light. However, the matches against the unbalanced Tunisia and the highly inconsistent Sweden cannot serve as evidence that we are looking at one of the World Cup favorites, who easily dismantles opponents. A more telling example is the result and the nature of the match against Japan. A mature and distinctive Asian side, even without two leaders on the field, managed to pose a number of insoluble questions before Ronald Koeman. It was that 2-2 draw that does not let us blindly believe in the Netherlands' triumphant path in the knockout stage, even after two unquestioned victories. One cannot say that Morocco greatly outclasses the upcoming opponent, but one can assert that at least it matches them in terms of the players in the squad and in how the team plays. Even before Achraf Hakimi and his teammates notched two wins in this tournament there had already been an opening draw. Points had to be shared with Brazil, who—even in their imperfect displays—are a dangerous opponent demanding maximum commitment. Morocco arrived in North America as the runner-up of the last World Cup in Qatar, and as the Africa Cup of Nations champion. A winner with caveats, but that does not negate the fact that the on-field final of the continental championship against Senegal was lost only in the penalty shootout. And a decisive edge over Morocco is something that few teams in world football have enjoyed in recent years. That is what keeps Morocco in the FIFA World Rankings Top 10. The guests are set to advance to the Round of 16.