Select few hoping for Morocco clean sheet

World Cup Fantasy managers are expecting another clean sheet for Morocco in their opening match against Iran.

No player in the 4pm fixture has more than five percent ownership on McDonald’s FIFA World Cup Fantasy but most of the niche interest is in the Atlas Lions’ back-line.

Morocco qualified for Russia without conceding a single goal in any of their six CAF Group C matches.

Since booking their place at the finals Herve Renard’s men have recorded another two clean sheets and have extended their unbeaten run to 18 matches.

So not surprisingly, the most owned player for Morocco vs Iran is Juventus centre-back and national captain Medhi Benatia (£5.0m), currently in five percent of squads.

Full-back Achraf Hakimi (£4.5m), of Real Madrid, is just behind him with four percent ownership.

Of the attacking players, Hakim Ziyech (£7.0m) tops the charts but even still is only in three percent of squads.

In the other dugout, Iran particularly disappointed in their warm-up matches, only finding a winner against lowly Lithuania in stoppage time earlier this month after suffering defeat to Turkey in May.

As you would expect, just two of their players have more than one percent ownership for Gameround 1, their easiest of the Group Stages with Spain and Portugal up next.

However, it would seem that those invested in midfielder Omid Ebrahimi (£4.5m) and substitute goalkeeper Rash Mazaheri (£4.0m) are attempting to save money rather than cover Iran.

STARTING LINE-UPS

MOROCCO (4-1-4-1): El Kajoui; Hakimi, Saiss, Benatia, N Amrabat; El Ahmadi; Ziyach, Belhanda, Boussoufa, Harit; El Kaabi.

IRAN (4-3-3): Beiranvand; Rezaeian, Cheshmi, Pouraliganji, Hajsafi; Shojaei, Ansarifard, Ebrahimi; Jahanbakhsh, Azmoun, Amiri