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Qatar World Cup 2022: Morocco holds 2018 runner-up Croatia in goalless draw; Luka Modric fans shocked

Qatar World Cup 2022: On Wednesday, Morocco and Croatia were engaged in a thrilling clash. The former held nerves and ensured a goalless draw against the 2018 runner-up, leaving Twitter thrilled.

football Qatar World Cup 2022, MAR vs CRO: Morocco holds 2018 runner-up Croatia in goalless draw; Luka Modric fans shocked-ayh
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First Published Nov 23, 2022, 5:59 PM IST

It was a gripping encounter between Morocco and Croatia during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. On Wednesday, the two Group F sides faced off at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor. While the latter was tipped as a solid favourite to see this through, the former produced a sensational gameplay display, especially with its rock-solid defence, restricting the Croatian attackers, as both sides settled for a goalless draw. The Blazers' star midfielder Luka Modrić failed to find the back of the net, besides failing to come up with a proper match-winning assist, as the trend of the minnows putting on a show against the giants continues in the tournament.

As for the match, Morocco turned out to be the better team in terms of attacking, registering eighth shots, compared to Croatia's five. However, the Blazers dominated with ball possession 65-35%. Although the Atlas Lions failed to have a good shot on target, Croatia did manage to have one, while Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou pulled off a couple of crucial saves in each half to allow his side to stay in the contest.

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Croatia came up with 552 precise passes compared to Morocco's 273, while the former fell in the off-side trap occasionally, whereas the latter didn't. Nevertheless, The Blazers had five setpiece chances from the corner but failed to convert them. Meanwhile, some records were scripted during the game, while Modric fans were shocked.

  • Josko Gvardiol became the second youngest Croatian to start a WC game (20 years, 304 days) after Mateo Kovacic (20 years, 37 days).
  • Modric became the only player to play in UEFA Euro and the WC in three different decades.
  • Josko Gvardiol is the youngest to ensure 100 passes in a single WC since 1966.
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