Scotland
Scotland stands on the brink of history, with a point enough to almost certainly book a place in the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time in team history.
The Scots will be looking to make it two wins from two in Group C following a 1-0 win over Haiti in Boston in the opening match. The Tartan Army did ride their luck in the closing stages of the game but John McGinn’s deflected effort midway through the first half was enough for Steve Clarke’s men following a 28 year wait for an appearance at a world cup.
Whilst the days after the victory was all about celebrations, in recent days many pundits have criticised the Scotland performance in Boston, citing what is two come in the next two matches against Morocco & Brazil. Should they not pick up any points in those matches then people will point to the fact they did not improve the goal difference against The Haitians.
Injuries & Team News
The key decision for Steve Clarke could be whether of not to stick with the attacking formation they had against Haiti, he went with 2 strikers in that match but he is likely to combat the Morocco threat by playing an extra player in midfield. That man could be Ryan Christie at the expense of Lawrence Shankland.
Scott McKenna (calf) is a doubt for Scotland’s second match at the 2026 World Cup, but Clarke’s team are otherwise in strong shape for their clash with Morocco, and it would not be a surprise to see an unchanged XI take to the field.
Form
| Last Match | Last 6 Matches |
|---|---|
| 1-0 vs Haiti | W L L W W W W |
Predicted Line-Up
Scotland (4-2-3-1):
Gunn; Hickey, Hanley, Hendry, Robertson; Ferguson, McGinn; Gannon-Doak, McTominay, Christie; Adams.
Morocco
Many fancy Morocco to be dark-horses for this tournament and not many will have changed their mind after the 1-1 draw with Brazil in the opening match. They were the better side against the 5 times winners and proved the run to the 2022 semi-finals was no flash in the pan.
They started the match against Brazil at a high tempo and to be fair The Selecao really struggled to handle them, The right flank of Achraf Hakimi and Brahim Díaz makes Morocco incredibly dangerous, while teenage midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi is already emerging as the breakout star of the tournament.
The Atlas lions wouldn’t be able to secure a round of 32 spot with victory but it would put them in a brilliant position to win the group given they play Haiti in the final match.
Injuries & Team News
The loss of Nayef Aguerd & Abde Ezzalzouli before the Tournament could have threatened to upset the balance of the team but it didnt show against Brazil and manager Mohamed Ouahbi is likely to name the same side that started the opener, although there is a slight doubt over goalkeeper Bonou.
The former Sevilla man, now of Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, suffered a shoulder injury against the Brazilians and he has had some scans afterwards with further news not yet emerging over his potential availability for this one.
Ismael Saibari scored the opening goal for The Atlas Lions and he will be even more full of confidence as he is about to sign for Bayern Munich from PSV after the completion of the world cup.
Form
| Last Match | Last 6 Matches |
|---|---|
| 1-1 vs Brazil | D W W W D D |
Predicted Line-Up
Morocco (4-2-3-1):
Bounou; Hakimi, Diop, Riad, Mazraoui; Aynaoui, Bouaddi; Díaz, Ounahi, El Khannouss; Saibari.
Betting Odds
| Team | Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland Win | 5/1 (6.00) | Grand Ivy |
| Draw | 11/4 (3.75) | Dream Vegas |
| Morocco Win | 3/4 (1.75) | 247Bet |
Prediction
Scotland 1-1 Morocco
This will be a much harder task for Scotland than the opening fixture but they showed enough in qualifying to show they can compete with better nations. Morocco will dominate the ball but i fancy Scotland to hold on for a point.