TEAM NEWS
Spain could be without back-up goalkeeper Pepe Reina, who is a doubt for this game. Defender Nacho Monreal has recovered from a minor problem and should be available, though he is unlikely to break into the starting line-up.
Midfielder Koke will hope for a recall after being dropped in favour of Lucas Vazquez for the win over Iran. Morocco may rotate their squad with their World Cup elimination already confirmed.
Sofyan Amrabat, Youssef En-Nesyri and Mehdi Carcela could all earn their first starts of the tournament.
OVERVIEW
It’s been something of a Jekyll and Hyde tournament for Spain so far in Russia, with rewards reaped at this stage not consistent with the performances attributed to them. Against Portugal, La Roja were the dominant force, but their aesthetically pleasing endeavours yielded just one point following Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat-trick.
In their match with Iran, Spain struggled against an impressively organised defence and created precious little. They took three points via an incredibly fortunate deflection off Diego Costa’s knee, but it was a strangely disjointed performance.
Morocco can consider themselves unlucky to have already been knocked out. Having lost their opening match against Iran courtesy of a 95th-minute own goal, they were the better side in the subsequent defeat to Portugal.
Only pride is now at stake for the African nation. Their European counterparts, however, need only draw to seal qualification, and will face a team from Group A should they go through.
VIEW FROM BOTH CAMPS
Spain head coach Fernando Hierro: “This is the World Cup, and not one single game is going to be easy. We can improve, and I hope we will keep winning while we do so, but nobody is giving anything away easily.
“In certain groups teams have already qualified but our group is very tough. We have no option but to secure all three points against Morocco.”
Morocco head coach Herve Renard: “Our focus is to finish stronger against Spain. That is what is on our minds now.
“We have qualified for the World Cup for the first time after 20 years and we have shown that we can play football.”
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- The two previous meetings came in a two-legged qualification play-off for the 1962 World Cup. Spain won 1-0 away and 3-2 at home.
Spain
- Five of Spain’s starting 11 against Iran had 100 caps or more – Gerard Pique, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, David Silva and Sergio Ramos.
- Sergio Ramos made his 15th World Cup appearance against Morocco, equalling Xavi. Only Iker Casillas (17) and Andoni Zubizarreta (16) have made more for Spain.
- Diego Costa is only the third Spanish player to score three goals in the first two games of a World Cup, after Fernando Torres in 2006 and Michel in 1990.
- Spain are unbeaten in 22 matches in all competitions (W15, D7), scoring in each game.
- Their win against Iran was the first time in five attempts Spain have won a World Cup match with David Silva in the starting line-up.
- Spain have won three of their four World Cup matches against African opponents (L1), scoring 11 goals and never fewer than two per game.
- They have finished top of their group in three of the last four World Cups, with the only exception their early exit in 2014.
- La Roja have won their final group game in each of the last eight World Cup tournaments, a run stretching back to 1986.
Morocco
- Morocco have now been eliminated at the group stage in four of their five World Cup campaigns, only progressing in the 1986 tournament.
- Should they lose this match, it will be just the second time that Morocco have lost all of their group games, having also done so in 1994.
- Morocco have registered more shots than their opponents in each of their last six World Cup defeats.
Source: BBC News