The round of 32 may be a little more watered down than an average round of 16 due to third-placed teams advancing to the knockout stage of the World Cup, but that's not the case as the Netherlands face Morocco in Monterrey in a battle of two contenders. The Netherlands made it to the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup and have made it to at least the round of 16 in four of the last five World Cups, with their best finish coming as runners-up in 2010.
Morocco are a rapidly improving side, finishing in fourth at the 2022 World Cup, and with African sides making their presence known in this tournament so far, they'd like to be the latest to keep it going against the Netherlands. Led by Brahim Diaz and Achraf Hakimi, it's a balanced Morocco side, but the Netherlands will be the most dynamic attack that they've faced so far in the tournament, scoring 10 goals in the group stage.Brian Brobbey has led the line well, and center backs Jan Paul Van Hecke and Virgil Van Dijk have made the Netherlands dangerous from set plays.
But when it comes to defending from open play, that's where Morocco will feel that they can make something happen. Hakimi can break a game open, and the Netherlands don't have anyone who can keep up with the Paris Saint-Germain right back on that side, which is part of why this could be an open clash as the winner will expect to go on a deep run in this tournament.
How to watch Netherlands vs. Morocco
Date: Monday, June 29 | Time: 9 p.m. ET Location: Estadio BBVA -- Guadalupe, Mexico TV: FOX (Eng), Telemundo (Spa) | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free) Odds: Netherlands +135; Draw +210; Morocco +250
Netherlands vs. Morocco predicted starting lineups
Netherlands: Bart Verbruggen, Micky Van de Ven, Virgil van Dijk, Jan Paul van Hecke, Denzel Dymfries, Tijjani Reijnders, Frenkie de Jong, Ryan Gravenberch, Donyell Malen, Brian Brobbey, Cody Gakpo
Morocco: Yassine Bounou, Noussair Mazraoui, Chadi Riad, Issa Diop, Achraf Hakimi, Neil El Aynaoui, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Bilal El Khannouss, Azzedine Ounahi, Brahim Diaz, Ismael Saibari
Netherlands vs. Morocco pick, prediction
The Netherlands attack will be able to get off to a fast start via Brobbey before Morocco equalize via none other than Brahim Diaz. With Canada waiting in the round of 16, the Netherlands will eventually find a late winner to keep their run going as their path to a deep World Cup run is materializing. Pick: Netherlands 2, Morocco 1
Check out our World Cup expert predictions.
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