Morocco won 4-2 with clear dominance and generated 3.3 xG
Morocco beat Haiti 4-2 in a match defined by the gap in attacking output: 22 shots to 5 and 70% possession. The result matched much more closely what the Moroccan side showed on the pitch.
Morocco beat 4-2 Haiti in the group stage of the World Cup, in a match where the difference in volume and depth was reflected in the numbers: 70% possession, 22 shots and 11 on target for the Moroccans, compared with just 30%, 5 shots and 1 on target for the Haitian side. In addition, the attacking output was far superior: Morocco generated chances worth 3.3 goals, while Haiti barely reached 0.5.
Tactical reading
The flow of the game was quite consistent with the split in possession and chances. In a 4-2-3-1, Morocco controlled the match through possession and by piling up shots, and that was backed up by the number of clear-cut actions it produced. Haiti, from a 4-4-1-1, had less of the ball and far less impact in the opposition box, something reflected not only in possession but also in the total shot count.
The gap in merit also shows up in the chances created data. Morocco built up to 3.3 and ended up scoring 4, a relationship that speaks of a team that was close to what it generated, even with a high attacking register. Haiti, by contrast, scored 2 from just 0.5 of output, which leaves the impression that it made better use of what it created than the volume suggested, though not enough to change the overall course of the game.
There was also a contrast in discipline: Morocco finished with 0 yellow cards and Haiti with 3, another sign of a team that maintained better control of the match. The data reinforces the idea of a game in which the Moroccan national team took the initiative and sustained its superiority for much of the contest.
There was one clear turning point: the match changed tone between Bono's own goal at 10', Achraf Hakimi's equalizer at 39', and Ismael Saibari's go-ahead goal at 45+1'. That spell before halftime put the match in Morocco's favor, as it went from chasing the game to leading at the break. Haiti had briefly leveled through Wilson Isidor at 43', but Morocco's response was immediate and left the score tilted before the teams went back out.
The standouts
The best ratings from the match help show where the individual difference was:
- B. El Khannouss (Morocco, 8.9): the highest-rated player in the match, in a team that created plenty and maintained the initiative.
- S. Rahimi (Morocco, 8.2): in addition to his rating, he added his goal at 78', in a finish where Morocco pulled away.
- Wilson Isidor (Haiti, 7.7): Haiti's best player and also a scorer at 43', keeping his team in a match of lower output.
The difference between the two teams was very clear in almost every indicator: possession, shots, shots on target and attacking production. Morocco won with statistical authority and turned that superiority into a result, while Haiti found two goals to soften the scoreline in a match in which it was almost always chasing.
