World Cup 2022: Quarter-Final Preview

Croatia vs Brazil

Brazil have been flying in this World Cup campaign. Their samba flair has been in full flow, shown in their dominant performance against South Korea. Neymar has settled back into the team seamlessly after a two-game absence due to an ankle injury and has had an instant impact on Brazil’s style of play and team spirit. Tite’s men are favourites to win the World Cup, and if they continue to play as they have, it would be no surprise. On the back of a lacklustre display against Japan, Croatia will have to channel their 2018 form to pull off a shock result in this match, which will have Croatians hoping for a Modric miracle.

Netherlands vs Argentina

The Netherlands are still undefeated in their campaign. However, many see them as the underdogs in their match against Argentina as despite playing well against the USA, they did not dominate the game- which was demonstrated through inviting pressure to set up counterattacks. Scaloni’s Argentina side have not lived up to the expectations most fans had for them. Despite an opening defeat at the hands of Saudi Arabia, they have vastly improved. Messi has been on fire and has scored the goals that have inspired his team to get to the quarter-finals. The question is whether he can do it again.

Morocco vs Portugal

Portugal will be oozing confidence after their 6-1 demolition of Switzerland. They are firing on all cylinders, with stellar performances from Fernandes, Leao and new addition Goncalo Ramos scoring a hat-trick in his first start. The Portuguese side look like a team out to prove that they are no longer in need of star man Ronaldo. With Morocco in their sights, it looks likely they will advance to the next round. The Moroccans played 120 minutes of football to defeat Spain in the penalty shootout, playing solidly defensively and creating some chances from the break. This type of performance will not be enough against a fired-up Portuguese side, so they will have to rethink their approach and be more progressive to have a chance of pulling off a massive upset.

England vs France

The biggest game of the tournament so far will be a fierce contest between two of the world's top footballing nations. England has their most talented side in decades with world-class players such as Bellingham, Foden and Kane. This is by far their hardest opposition yet as previous opponents have not been on the same level as them. This game will test if they have the quality to beat one of the tournament favourites and lift the World Cup. France have certainly not fallen to ‘the curse of the holders’ by not getting out of the group stage. Instead, they are now in the quarterfinals and have a reasonable chance of progressing even further. Mbappe has been Les Bleus’ star man so far in the tournament. With his eyes on the Golden Boot, he is confirming his status as one of, if not, the most talented players in the world. France look extremely dangerous and it will take a lot from the Three Lions to stop them defensively, especially if they struggle to get settled into the game.