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Germany vs. Morocco: Top Storylines, Odds, Live Stream for Women’s World Cup 2023
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Germany arrives in Australia for the 2023 World Cup with lofty expectations and championship dreams but has struggled in preceding friendlies against competition they easily should have defeated.
Morocco enters off an appearance in the finals of the Africa Cup of Nations, with momentum on its side and a desire to spread awareness and love for women’s soccer.
On paper, theirs is a one-sided match that should see the Germans pick up their first victory in the group stage. Inconsistency, however, could prove costly in what may very well be the most interesting match-up of the tournament’s opening days.
Odds, Schedule, Streaming Info
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Current Odds
Germany (-3000; bet $100, win $103.33)
Draw (+1400; bet $100, win $1500)
Morocco (+3000; bet $100, win $3100)
Schedule and Viewing Info
Date: Monday, July 24
Time: 4:30 a.m.
TV: Fox Sports 1
Streaming: Fox Sports app
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Germany Is a World Cup Contender, But Limps Into Tournament Following Friendly Losses
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Matt King – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
Germany has long been among the world’s elite in soccer and that has not changed as expectations are once again high for Die Nationalef.
Amid those expectations, though, is a team that is limping into the tournament having just narrowly escaped with a victory against Vietnam and losing to both Zambia (3-2) and Brazil (2-1) in friendlies.
The team is more than capable of showing up and defeating favored teams like the United States or England in this year’s tournament but it also can lose to teams it should be demonstrably better than, which begs the question: does the team play to the quality of its opponent?
If so, that is a problem that will present itself rather quickly in this World Cup, particularly as Morocco awaits them in the first group match.
The second-ranked squad is a legitimate contender to win the Cup and has the talent to do just that.
Lena Oberdorf, at 17 years old, is a young and creative player whose on-field intelligence and ability to read the situation is the stuff of a more experienced player. Her physicality helps set the tone for the rest of the team and has positioned her as one of the leaders of the future.
Alexandra Popp is the best player on the team and an international force on the pitch. She is coming off a European Championships in which she scored in five consecutive games and enters the World Cup on the heels of her most prolific year.
Both of those players are among the best in the entire tournament and should be guiding forces in the team’s journey to the cup but if they continue to play to the level of the competition, they will find themselves upset early and their chances of capturing a third World Cup diminished greatly.
Can Moroccan Women Repeat Success of Men’s Team in First World Cup Appearance?
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Alex Pantling – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
“The Atlas Lionesses aren’t going to the World Cup to make up the numbers. Our aim is to compete with the biggest teams at the tournament,” Moroccan star player Ghizlane Chebbak told FIFA.
That is not an overconfident proclamation but, rather, a statement of intent by a player who believes in herself and her team to make a splash on the world stage.
The men’s team rolled into Qatar for last year’s World Cup and advanced all the way to the semifinals, taking the soccer world by storm with one of the most inspiring performances in recent memory and the women’s squad believes it can accomplish the same.
The team’s confidence comes from coach Reynald Pedros, whose preference for a solid defensive unit and efficient, striking attack helped lead the team to the Africa Cup of Nations finals.
They lost to South Africa, 2-1, but gained momentum and awareness for women’s soccer in both their country and region.
The first Arab team to ever compete in the women’s World Cup, they will be tested early on against Germany in what should be a one-sided affair on paper but given the struggles Die Nationalef experienced in friendly play against lesser competition, it would be less of a surprise if Chebbak led her team to a stunning upset Monday morning.
Such a victory would be a major step in the team’s determination to help grow women’s soccer in Morocco. There is certainly hope and some expectation within the country that the team can make it out of the group stage.
