Portugal will lock horns with Morocco at the Al Thumana Stadium on Saturday evening, hoping to pick up a positive result and secure a place in the semi-finals of the World Cup campaign. Fernando Santos’ men will be coming into the match on the back of a thumping 6-1 victory over Switzerland. On the other hand, Walid Regragui’s men recorded a stunning 1-0 win against Spain in the round of sixteen.
Fernando Santos will probably opt for the 4-3-3 formation; however, he might make a couple of changes for the upcoming encounter as Ruben Neves looks likely to get the nod over William Carvalho.
4-3-3 Portugal Predicted Lineup Vs Morocco
Defence
Diogo Costa is expected to start in goal for the upcoming clash. The Porto shot-stopper would be looking to put up a strong performance and secure a clean sheet on Saturday.
Nicolas Pepe will continue to form the centre-half partnership with Ruben Dias at the heart of Portugal’s backline.
Raphael Guerreiro is a guaranteed starter at the left-back position, whereas Diogo Dalot is expected to start on the other flank as the right-back. The duo would be expected to stay compact and keep their shape defensively.
Midfield
Ruben Neves might start in the holding midfield position. The Wolves star could be assigned more of a defensive role to shield his side’s back four.
Otavio will slot into the central midfield role, whereas Bruno Fernandes is expected to start in the attacking midfield position. The Manchester United man would be determined to set up some clear-cut goal-scoring chances for the frontmen.
Joao Palhinha will have to settle for a place on the bench initially. However, he could be brought on in the second half of the match if needed.
Attack
Joao Felix and Bernardo Silva will take up the wide positions, playing on the left and right wing respectively.
Goncalo Ramos is expected to lead the line for his side against Morocco. The 21-year-old bagged a hat trick against Switzerland, and he would hope to add to that on Saturday.
