2018 World Cup Group B: Portugal's nightmare drawing neighbours Spain
European Champions Portugal will be aiming to claim the concurrent World title but will have to face the last side to achieve that feat in neighbours Spain in Group B. With that in mind it was a nightmare draw for both Iran and Morocco, with the former the lowest ranked side from pot 3 and the latter making their first appearance at a finals in 20 years.
Portugal
Fernando Santos’ side were shock winners of the Euros in 2016 and despite their third placed FIFA ranking won’t be particularly fancied next summer either. Portugal famously won just one of their matches in 90 minutes in France, drawing all of their others, but were ironically one of only three teams to qualify that didn’t partake in a single stalemate. They reached the tournament courtesy of a winner takes all victory over Switzerland in UEFA qualifying, with both sides ending their respective campaigns with nine wins and a solitary defeat - to one another.
Cristiano Ronaldo was the predictable star en route to Russia, scoring 15 times to ensure his nation’s progress to a fifth tournament running, though there’s an impressive crop of young talent coming through in attack. Andre Gomes, Goncalo Guedes, Gelson Martins and Bernardo Silva will all be making their World Cup debuts and will hope to make their mark.
Spain
Hoping to put the misery of 2014 behind them, and indeed an underwhelming performance at last summer’s Euros, Spain are under new management in Julen Lopetegui and looked back to their best at times in qualifying. Doing so at the expense of Italy, La Roja are well practiced in facing strong sides in their group and will be keen to knock their neighbours off their perch. They beat Portugal en route to their 2010 World and 2012 European titles, so three points would be a decent omen.
As many as four players shared the lead for Spain as far as goalscorers were concerned to progress to the finals, with Diego Costa, Alvaro Morata, David Silva and Isco all netting five times. The battle for the top spot between the former pairing will be intriguing, though it’s the latter that promises to pull the strings in behind the lone striker next summer.
Iran
For their efforts in not losing a single game in qualifying for the tournament, Iran have been drawn against the two most recent European champions and will be a little gutted to say the least. They’ve never progressed past the group stages in their four previous World Cup appearances and will be underdogs to do so at the fifth time of asking.
Carlos Queiroz, who will lead the team out against his home country and former employers in Portugal in their final group game, does have some talented players at his disposal. Sardar Azmoun - ‘the Iranian Messi’ - has disappointed since a move to Rubin Kazan having been linked to some big European clubs in recent years but has an excellent international record, while winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh is enjoying a fantastic season with AZ, earning the third highest WhoScored.com rating in the Eredivisie thus far (8.02).
Morocco
Leading a side at a World Cup for the first time, Herve Renard has plenty of experience of major tournaments in Africa, and indeed in winning them. Guiding Zambia to the most unlikely of AFCON titles in 2012, he became the first manager to win the trophy with two different nations when leading the Ivory Coast to glory three years later, and he is certainly getting a tune out of a Morocco side that aren’t to be underestimated.
Captained by the impressive Medhi Benatia at the back, Real Madrid wonderkid Achraf Hakimi is already established as first choice right-back and helped the side to a faultless defensive record in qualifying - the only side to reach the finals without conceding a single goal. In attack Ajax’s Hakim Ziyech is the star, and impressive options in the final third could see the Atlas Lions cause an upset in a difficult group.
