Croatia vs Morocco LIVE: Stream, TV channel, team news as Modric looks to bow out with World Cup bronze medal – updates
CROATIA and Morocco are set to battle it out for the dreaded World Cup third place play-off – and we are on the countdown to kick-off.
Luka Modric will be determined to bow out from football’s biggest with a bronze medal at minimum after the semi-final disappointment.
But the history-making Moroccans have other ideas as they look to break even more records.
- Kick-off: 3pm GMT
- Live stream: BBC iPlayer
- TV channel: BBC One
- Croatia XI: To follow
- Morocco XI: To follow
Get £40 in free bets & bonuses when staking £10 with 888Sport
Follow ALL the live action with our live blog below…
How did they get here?
Just like in 2018, the two teams in the third-place play-off faced off in the group stages.
These two sides drew 0-0 in their opening game in Group F before both beating Canada.
BETTING SPECIAL – BEST BETTING APPS FOR THE WORLD CUP
Morocco topped the group by beating Belgium as Croatia had another goalless stalemate.
The Atlas Lions then stunned Spain and Portugal before eventually falling to France in the semis.
Croatia, meanwhile, scraped past Japan and stunned Brazil on penalties but were stopped by Argentina.
What is the team news and any injuries to worry about?
Morocco captain Romain Saiss will sit this one out having been risked at “60 to 70 per cent” for the France clash.
For Croatia, Marcelo Brozovic and Josko Gvardiol are minor doubts.
Brozovic was taken off against Argentina while Gvardiol is recovering from a foot injury.
Who will be the star men?
This match may well be Modric’s 162nd and final cap for Croatia – if not, then almost certainly his final piece of action at a World Cup.
Josip Juranovic has starred at right-back and put himself in the shop window, as has Dominik Livakovic and Morocco midfield pair Sofyan Amrabat and Azzedine Ounahi.
What’s the head to head?
This will be just their third meeting of all time.
The first was a 2-2 draw at the Hassan II Trophy in December 1996 before Croatia won the shootout 7-6.
Then came the 0-0 draw at the Al Bayt Stadium on November 23.
SunSport prediction
Croatia 0-0 Morocco (Croatia win on penalties)
When is Croatia vs Morocco?
- The World Cup third place play-off between Croatia and Morocco is taking place TODAY – December 17.
- It is expected to get underway from 3pm UK time
- Khalifa International Stadium in Doha is the allocated arena for this huge fixture and it can host approximately 45,000 spectators.
- Belgium beat England 2-0 in the 2018 third place play-off contest.
What TV channel is Croatia vs Morocco on and can it be live streamed?
- Croatia’s encounter against Morocco will be shown LIVE on BBC One in the UK.
- Coverage is set to commence from 2:30pm UK time – 30 minutes before kick-off.
- Viewers also have the option to stream the entire action through the BBC iPlayer app or BBC Sport website.
- You can listen to radio coverage of the match on talkSPORT – stream online, via smartphone apps or DAB radio.
Can the third-place play-off match be watched for free?
YES! The third place play-off encounter can be watched for FREE as long as you hold a valid TV license in the UK.
What are the odds?
Croatia win 13/10
Draw 12/5
Morocco victory 2/1
Odds courtesy of Betfair correct as of December 16.