The Atlas Lions make their comeback after their World Cup heroics, where they finished in fourth place

Morocco will play a friendly match against Peru at the Cívitas Metropolitano

photo_camera fanzonepro_hero_center

The Moroccan national team was one of the sensations of the last World Cup in Qatar. Walid Regragui's team beat Spain and Portugal in the round of 16 and quarter-finals, respectively, before losing with honours in the semi-finals to the all-conquering France. The Atlas Lions, who missed out on a bronze medal after losing to Croatia in the battle for third place, will make their comeback in March for a friendly against Peru in Spain.

seleccion-marruecos

Atletico Madrid's home ground, the Civitas Metropolitano, will host a match that will pit the Moroccans against a Peruvian side that failed to qualify for the last world finals. The match will take place next Tuesday 28 March at 21:30, a perfect showcase for a team that has aroused the interest of many fans due to its characteristic style of play. Regragui has managed to put together a team with a clear idea and now has a good opportunity to show Moroccan football to the European public.
 
The Atlas Lions' brilliant World Cup performance has not gone unnoticed by the best teams in the world. In addition to the already well-known stars such as Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain), En-Nesyri and Bono (Sevilla), we must now add a number of players who, after their performance at the World Cup, have exponentially increased their value. Ounahi - "the eight" who won Luis Enrique's heart - has not even waited for the summer transfer window to change teams. Olympique de Marseille reached an agreement with Angers and his impact on the team has been immediate, scoring a goal within minutes of making his debut.

seleccion-peru-futbol

Another big name in Walid Regragui's squad is Sofyan Amrabat, who is coveted by the European giants and will almost certainly leave Fiorentina in the next transfer window. In the last transfer window, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Liverpool tried to sign the midfielder, but the Florentines refused. Amrabat will not leave the club until June and in any case he will not leave for less than 30 million euros, a cost that has skyrocketed after his outstanding role in the Moroccan national team.

sofyan-amrabat-seleccion-marruecos

Thus, Morocco will arrive at the Metropolitano as one of the most fashionable teams on the international scene and many European giants will have their eyes on what happens on the Madrid pitch. They will face a Peruvian team that, despite not having been in Qatar, is not in a bad moment. The two teams have only met once in their entire history, at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, where La Blanquirroja defeated the Moroccans 3-0 to advance from the group stage.

peru-marruecos-mundial-mexico-1970

The current context is completely different, however, and it is the Moroccans who are in a rich vein of form, supported by a talented generation that has only just begun its journey at the highest level. In fact, thanks to the World Cup, Morocco are ranked eleventh in the FIFA rankings, just behind Spain. Peru, meanwhile, are in 21st position, showing that, despite their absence from the World Cup, they are still in good shape and will offer resistance to Morocco on 28 March at the Cívitas Metropolitano.

More in Sports