Scotland enter this fixture with the table in their favour and a crowd of travelling supporters who will believe something rare is building. Clarke’s side were not dazzling in their opener, but tournament football often rewards discipline before beauty. Not pretty? Maybe. Effective? Absolutely.
Morocco come into Foxborough with a different sort of energy. Their performance against Brazil felt like a warning shot, not a lucky escape. Ouahbi has pushed the side toward longer spells on the ball, and that gives them a more mature feel than the old purely reactive version.
The likely rhythm is easy to imagine. The Tartan Army will try to keep the spaces narrow, protect central areas, and force the Atlas Lions wide. That said, Hakimi and Mazraoui are exactly the sort of full-backs who enjoy being invited into advanced territory.
Midfield could decide plenty. McGinn and McTominay give Clarke bite, timing and leadership, but Morocco’s attacking midfielders are clever at drifting away from markers. If Diaz starts finding pockets between the lines, Scotland may spend a lot of the evening making emergency decisions.
This is not a simple favourite versus underdog story, though. Scotland’s motivation is massive, and a win would push them close to something historic. Even so, Morocco appear better equipped to control the tempo, manage pressure, and turn possession into the kind of chances that decide tight World Cup matches.
