Team News
Spain made two changes from their first match to their second, including the surprising decision to drop Nacho after his goal of the tournament contender against Portugal. The clean sheet against Iran could mean that Dani Carvajal retains his place at right back.
The other change against Iran saw Lucas Vazquez replace Koke, with Andres Iniesta dropping into a deeper midfield role where he seemed to have greater influence. Fernando Hierro could therefore name the same team that started in Kazan.
Morocco manager Herve Renard is unlikely to make many changes from the team that performed so well against Portugal in Moscow. Ayoub El Kaabi could return in place of Khalid Boutaib up front.
Predicted Starting Lineups
Spain (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Carvajal, Pique, Ramos, Alba; Busquets, Iniesta; Silva, Isco, Vazquez; Costa
Morocco (4-2-3-1): Munir; Dirar, Benatia, da Costa, Hakimi; El Ahmadi, Boussoufa; N Amrabat, Belhanda, Ziyech; El Kaabi
Head To Head
These two nations haven't met since a two-legged World Cup qualification match in 1962, a tie that Spain won 4-2 on aggregate.
Spain vs Morocco Stats
Spain have won three of their four World Cup matches against African opponents (L1), scoring 11 goals and never fewer than two per game.
Morocco have lost just one of their last four final group stage matches (W2 D1), winning 3-0 against Scotland in 1998 – their most recent World Cup.
Morocco have already been eliminated from the 2018 World Cup; they have now been eliminated at the group stage in four of their five World Cup campaigns, only progressing in the 1986 tournament.
Morocco have lost four of their last six World Cup matches against European opposition (W1 D1), losing against Portugal most recently (1-0 in MD2).
Should they lose this match, it will be only the second time that Morocco have lost all of their World Cup group matches in a single campaign, having previously done so in 1994.
Spain have finished top of their group in three of the last four World Cup tournaments (before 2018), the only exception in this run is in 2014 when they finished third.
Spain have won their final group game in each of the last eight World Cup tournaments, a run stretching back to 1986.
Morocco have fired in more shots than their opposition in each of their last six World Cup defeats (v Portugal and Iran in 2018; Brazil in 1998; Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and Belgium in 1994).
Striker Diego Costa has scored nine goals in his last nine international starts for Spain.
