Croatia beat Morocco 2-1 in the third-place playoffs of the World Cup at the Khalifa Stadium on Saturday evening&nbsp;to end the African side's dream run in Qatar. Goals from&nbsp;Josko Gvardiol and&nbsp;Mislav Oršić were enough for the 2018 finalists to get the better of a spirited Moroccan side.&nbsp;

Both teams came into the contest after suffering the disappointment of not making it to the final of the quadrennial event. Though many would have anticipated&nbsp;the third-place match to&nbsp;be devoid of any intensity, it certainly wasn't the case.

The passion and desire to win a football match was as high as the motivation that playing in a World Cup final brings - making up for an intriguing watch for the neutrals.&nbsp;

A blistering start to the match

The two teams were off the blocks in a lightning-quick manner with Croatia drawing the first blood. A fee-kick curled from 40-50 yards out was cushioned into the back of the net, past a diving Bounou&nbsp;by Gvardiol, one of the stars of the tournaments, with much ease in the seventh minute.&nbsp;

However, before Croatian fans even had the time to rejoice their team's goal, Morocco, through a free kick two minutes later, managed to restore the parity.&nbsp;

Walid&nbsp;Regragui and his men, known for their defensive solidity were often scruffy in their clearances. Croatia had numerous chances within the first half an hour to double the lead.

The half-hearted clearances from Morocco came back to haunt them when Mislav Oršić, given a starting place in the playing XI tied the laces behind a beautiful curling shot in the 42nd minute that flew past Bounou&nbsp;, who had no chance to stop that.&nbsp;

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Mislav Orsic with 𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐫𝐭 🖌️🎨 
 
Is this the goal that helps <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Croatia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Croatia</a> earn the 🥉 in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Qatar2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Qatar2022</a>? 
 
Find out in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CROMAR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CROMAR</a>, LIVE on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JioCinema?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JioCinema</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sports18?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Sports18</a> 📺📲 
 
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The goal came against the run of play as Morocco had amassed a flurry of chances in the 15 minutes prior to it.&nbsp;

After the break,&nbsp;Regragui made one substitution by replacing&nbsp;Abdelhamid Sabiri with Ilias Chair. However, it was the 2018 finalists that picked up the tempo first with goalscorer&nbsp;Orisic letting one fly that grazed the side netting.&nbsp;

Perhaps Morocco's biggest chance of the match came in the 75th minute when&nbsp;Youssef En-Nesyri,&nbsp;loitering all alone at the far post was found by his teammate.&nbsp;

En-Nesyri, the hero of the quarterfinal against Portugal pulled the trigger but for the umpteenth time for Croatia, keeper Livakovic came to the rescue.&nbsp;

Afterwards, the Moroccan players had a tough time keeping their heads about it as tempers flared, trying to chase the equalising goal.&nbsp;Morocco tried hard but with no finesse in the final third, they had to pay dearly, once again.&nbsp;

Playing XI changes

Croatia started the game with coach Zlatko Dalic&nbsp;making&nbsp;five changes to the starting XI from their defeat against Argentina. The most notable omission was of Marcelo Brozovic who had to leave the field during the last game, soon after halftime.

As for Morocco, their captain Romain Saiss could not break into the XI after failing to recover from an injury.&nbsp;

Morocco may not have reached the finals or won third place but their fairytale run at the World Cup will be remembered for ages. They have&nbsp;given hope, not only to Asia, Africa or the Arab world hope but to all those nations that dream of making it to the World Cup one day.&nbsp;

"It's a bitter defeat but I think it's deserved.&nbsp;We have a team that never gave in. We'll remember a lot of matches, we're going to come back stronger. We've united our country for a month, everybody was happy," said&nbsp;Regragui ina post-match interview.&nbsp;

As for Croatia, it was the first time since 1998 that they finished third at the FIFA World Cup, having&nbsp;beaten Netherlands 2-1 at Parc des Princes that time.&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;

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Croatia beat Morocco 2-1 in the third-place playoffs of the World Cup at the Khalifa Stadium on Saturday evening to end the African side's dream run in Qatar. Goals from Josko Gvardiol and Mislav Oršić were enough for the 2018 finalists to get the better of a spirited Moroccan side.

Croatia beat Morocco 2-1 in the third-place playoffs of the World Cup at the Khalifa Stadium on Saturday evening to end the African side's dream run in Qatar. Goals from Josko Gvardiol and Mislav Oršić were enough for the 2018 finalists to get the better of a spirited Moroccan side. Both teams came into the contest after suffering the disappointment of not making it to the final of the quadrennial event. Though many would have anticipated the third-place match to be devoid of any intensity, it certainly wasn't the case. The passion and desire to win a football match was as high as the motivation that playing in a World Cup final brings - making up for an intriguing watch for the neutrals. A blistering start to the match The two teams were off the blocks in a lightning-quick manner with Croatia drawing the first blood. A fee-kick curled from 40-50 yards out was cushioned into the back of the net, past a diving Bounou by Gvardiol, one of the stars of the tournaments, with much ease in the seventh minute. However, before Croatian fans even had the time to rejoice their team's goal, Morocco, through a free kick two minutes later, managed to restore the parity. Walid Regragui and his men, known for their defensive solidity were often scruffy in their clearances. Croatia had numerous chances within the first half an hour to double the lead. The half-hearted clearances from Morocco came back to haunt them when Mislav Oršić, given a starting place in the playing XI tied the laces behind a beautiful curling shot in the 42nd minute that flew past Bounou , who had no chance to stop that. Mislav Orsic with 𝐚 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐫𝐭 🖌️🎨 Is this the goal that helps #Croatia earn the 🥉 in #Qatar2022? Find out in #CROMAR, LIVE on #JioCinema & #Sports18 📺📲 Presented by @Mahindra_Auto#FIFAWorldCup #WorldsGreatestShow #FIFAWConJioCinema #FIFAWConSports18 pic.twitter.com/jkkHXUYz7H — JioCinema (@JioCinema) December 17, 2022 × The goal came against the run of play as Morocco had amassed a flurry of chances in the 15 minutes prior to it. After the break, Regragui made one substitution by replacing Abdelhamid Sabiri with Ilias Chair. However, it was the 2018 finalists that picked up the tempo first with goalscorer Orisic letting one fly that grazed the side netting. Perhaps Morocco's biggest chance of the match came in the 75th minute when Youssef En-Nesyri, loitering all alone at the far post was found by his teammate. En-Nesyri, the hero of the quarterfinal against Portugal pulled the trigger but for the umpteenth time for Croatia, keeper Livakovic came to the rescue. Afterwards, the Moroccan players had a tough time keeping their heads about it as tempers flared, trying to chase the equalising goal. Morocco tried hard but with no finesse in the final third, they had to pay dearly, once again. Playing XI changes Croatia started the game with coach Zlatko Dalic making five changes to the starting XI from their defeat against Argentina. The most notable omission was of Marcelo Brozovic who had to leave the field during the last game, soon after halftime. As for Morocco, their captain Romain Saiss could not break into the XI after failing to recover from an injury. Morocco may not have reached the finals or won third place but their fairytale run at the World Cup will be remembered for ages. They have given hope, not only to Asia, Africa or the Arab world hope but to all those nations that dream of making it to the World Cup one day. "It's a bitter defeat but I think it's deserved. We have a team that never gave in. We'll remember a lot of matches, we're going to come back stronger. We've united our country for a month, everybody was happy," said Regragui ina post-match interview. As for Croatia, it was the first time since 1998 that they finished third at the FIFA World Cup, having beaten Netherlands 2-1 at Parc des Princes that time. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

FIFA World Cup 2022: Croatia defeat a spirited Morocco 2-1 to win the third-place playoff

After a power-packed couple of days at the FIFA World Cup 2022 where we saw Qatar becoming the first host nation to lose a world cup opener and Argentina going down to Saudi Arabia in a shocker, a lot was on offer for fans all across the world. Such a start to this football carnival gave the fans a gist of what is about to come.

Now moving ahead, let’s have a brief look at what is in store for us on day 3 of the FIFA World Cup 2022.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/saudi-arabia-pull-off-massive-upset-stun-lionel-messis-argentina-2-1-in-fifa-world-cup-2022-536465">Saudi Arabia pull off massive upset, stun Lionel Messi’s Argentina 2-1 in FIFA World Cup 2022</a>

FIFA World Cup 2022 Day 3 Matches, timings, and venues:

In the first of the four matches that are to be played on day 3 of the FIFA World Cup 2022, Morocco will take on 2018 World Cup finalist Croatia at the Al Bayt Stadium, marking this as the first occasion when these two teams will square off in the FIFA World Cup. The match will begin at 15:30 PM IST.

The second match of the day is a biggie – between former four-time World Cup winners Germany and Japan, set to be played at the Khalifa International Stadium. While this is also the first meeting between these two nations at the FIFA World Cup, Germany have never lost to Japan even during their friendly encounters in the past, having won once in 2004 (3-0). The timing of the second match is 18:30 PM IST.

In the third match of day 3 of the FIFA World Cup 2022, ex-champions Spain will play Costa Rica at Al Thumama Stadium. The match promises to be an exciting contest given how both squads are lined-up. This encounter will be telecasted live for the fans in India at 21:30 PM IST.

The fourth and final contest of the day will be played between Belgium and Canada, two teams that are expected to raise the bar on the match day. These teams, even in the past, have met only once, in a friendly match in 1989 in Ottawa where Belgium won by a margin of 2-0. As scheduled, the match will begin at 12:30 AM IST.

Live streaming on TV, OTT details -

All the fans across India can enjoy the live coverage of this FIFA World Cup 2022 on Sports18 and Sports 18 HD channels on TV, and on Jio Cinema app online.

After a power-packed couple of days at the FIFA World Cup 2022 where we saw Qatar becoming the first host nation to lose a world cup opener and Argentina going down to Saudi Arabia in a shocker, a lot was on offer for fans all across the world.

After a power-packed couple of days at the FIFA World Cup 2022 where we saw Qatar becoming the first host nation to lose a world cup opener and Argentina going down to Saudi Arabia in a shocker, a lot was on offer for fans all across the world. Such a start to this football carnival gave the fans a gist of what is about to come. Now moving ahead, let’s have a brief look at what is in store for us on day 3 of the FIFA World Cup 2022. ALSO READ: Saudi Arabia pull off massive upset, stun Lionel Messi’s Argentina 2-1 in FIFA World Cup 2022 FIFA World Cup 2022 Day 3 Matches, timings, and venues: In the first of the four matches that are to be played on day 3 of the FIFA World Cup 2022, Morocco will take on 2018 World Cup finalist Croatia at the Al Bayt Stadium, marking this as the first occasion when these two teams will square off in the FIFA World Cup. The match will begin at 15:30 PM IST. The second match of the day is a biggie – between former four-time World Cup winners Germany and Japan, set to be played at the Khalifa International Stadium. While this is also the first meeting between these two nations at the FIFA World Cup, Germany have never lost to Japan even during their friendly encounters in the past, having won once in 2004 (3-0). The timing of the second match is 18:30 PM IST. In the third match of day 3 of the FIFA World Cup 2022, ex-champions Spain will play Costa Rica at Al Thumama Stadium. The match promises to be an exciting contest given how both squads are lined-up. This encounter will be telecasted live for the fans in India at 21:30 PM IST. The fourth and final contest of the day will be played between Belgium and Canada, two teams that are expected to raise the bar on the match day. These teams, even in the past, have met only once, in a friendly match in 1989 in Ottawa where Belgium won by a margin of 2-0. As scheduled, the match will begin at 12:30 AM IST. Live streaming on TV, OTT details - All the fans across India can enjoy the live coverage of this FIFA World Cup 2022 on Sports18 and Sports 18 HD channels on TV, and on Jio Cinema app online.

FIFA World Cup 2022, Day 3 Schedule – Matches, venues and live streaming-OTT, channel broadcast details!

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FIFA World Cup 2022: Croatia defeat a spirited Morocco 2-1 to win the third-place playoff

FIFA World Cup 2022, Day 3 Schedule – Matches, venues and live streaming-OTT, channel broadcast details!