Netherlands vs Morocco
Morocco surprised (almost) everyone when they reached the semi-finals of the previous World Cup, and they are plotting for a similar deep run at the World Cup 2026. Mohamed Ouahbi is probably feeling the pressure of trying to outdo his predecessor, Walid Regragui.
The Atlas Lions clinched their spot in the knockouts after finishing second in Group C. Despite being level with Brazil at seven points, they’re consigned to second due to an inferior goal difference, but at least they’ve qualified. As such, they’ve drawn the Netherlands as their Round of 32 opponents.
The Netherlands also had seven points, which were good enough to secure the top spot in Group F, with Japan (five points) and Sweden (four points) behind them. The Oranje have been one of the top-performing nations in the finals, but they’ll have their work cut out for them at the Estadio Monterrey in Guadalupe on Monday evening.
Talking Points
Brobbey becoming the Netherlands’ focal point
The Netherlands have been one of the most prolific teams in this year’s finals, having scored 10 goals while conceding only four goals on the other end for a healthy goal difference of +6, and Brian Brobbey has played a huge role in that.
After going scoreless in their 2-2 draw against Japan, Brobbey registered a brace to power the Oranje to a 5-1 bashing of Sweden. The Sunderland striker also found the back of the net early against Tunisia en route to helping his team secure a 3-1 victory.
Brobbey wasn’t supposed to be the Netherlands’ top scorer in this tournament since he was supposed to be the understudy to the likes of Memphis Depay, Donyell Malen, and Wout Weghorst. At 24 years of age, Brobbey is still far from a finished article. But if there’s anything we’ve learned from this year’s finals, it’s that he’s ready to be their No. 9 for the foreseeable future.
Besides Brobbey, the Netherlands have also been buoyed by the robust centre-half partnership of Jan Paul van Hecke and captain Virgil van Dijk, who have two goals combined so far.
Morocco’s Saibari has increased his stock
Ismael Saibari is one of the most surprising developments of this year’s World Cup, as the 25-year-old forward is currently Morocco’s top scorer with three goals. He opened the scoring for the Atlas Lions against Brazil (1-1) before scoring within the first two minutes against Scotland (1-0). Saibari also found the back of the net during their 4-2 victory over Haiti.
Saibari will move to Bayern Munich next season after a superb 2025-26 campaign with PSV Eindhoven. Last season, he was voted player of the season in the Dutch Eredivisie after scoring 15 league goals en route to winning the league championship.
PSV Eindhoven will reportedly receive up to €55 million for Saibari, also courted by Manchester United and PSG. Bayern Munich will continue to monitor his progress in the tournament.
History
Monday marks the fourth competitive encounter between the Netherlands and Morocco, with the former winning two out of three (L1). These two teams have already squared off in the World Cup, with the Oranje winning 2-1 in their first-ever meeting against the Atlas Lions in Group F of the 1994 finals.
Dennis Bergkamp and Bryan Roy were on the scoresheet for the Netherlands, while Hassan Nader scored for Morocco. With the win, the Netherlands seized the top spot in Group F, despite being level with Saudi Arabia and Belgium at six points each. After winning 2-0 against the Republic of Ireland in the Round of 16, the Oranje lost 3-2 to Brazil. Their most recent meeting was an international friendly in June 2017, in which the Netherlands won again 2-1.
Betting Tip
The World Cup 2026 odds predict a cagey affair between the Netherlands and Morocco. The Oranje have the slight edge in the 1X2 market at 2.19 to advance, whereas the Atlas Lions aren’t far behind at 3.46, and a draw after 90 minutes is pegged at 3.17.
Both teams are expected to produce enough new World Cup 2026 highlights for the fans in Guadalupe to enjoy on Monday. However, this shouldn’t feature too many goals since they’ll likely cancel each other out.
Besides our recommended bet, SBOTOP bettors may also consider adding Over 1.75 at 1.50, Over 2.00 at 1.71, Over 2.25 at 2.00, and Over 2.50 at 2.31 to the parlay. Furthermore, a Correct Score of 2-1 in favour of the Netherlands – the result of two of their last three meetings – could yield a robust payday of 8.80.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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