Wydad Casablanca vs Al Ain Prediction: Moroccans backed for big finale

Both pointless after two matches, there is nothing to play for but pride when Wydad Casablanca face Al Ain in Washington D.C (20:00 BST, DAZN). Placed in a group with Manchester City and Juventus, this was always likely to be the case, but with money on the line for every win, both teams will be striving to end on a high. 

Below you can find my Wydad Casablanca vs Al Ain predictions as we search to round off Group G with a winner. 

Team News

Wydad took off Samuel Obeng at half-time against Juventus and he could lose his starting spot to Cassius Mailula at the top end of the attack. Nordin Amrabat had a great game against Juventus, creating five chances against the Old Lady so he will feature along with fellow wide man Thembinkosi Lorch - who found the net against Juve. 

They will pose the main threat for the Moroccans while Mohamed Rayhi will hope to make an impact from the bench. Bart Meijers and Abdelmounaim Boutouil both struggled against Juve as part of the back line and could be taken out here as the gaffer searches for more solidity.

Today's Football Fixtures

Al Ain coach Vladimir Ivic tried to change things up after a 5-0 loss to Juve in their opener, but it made little difference as they were spanked 6-0 by Manchester City. It feels like Rui Patricio should come back in between the sticks, while Kaku and Kouame Autonne are also looking to gain their places back in the starting XI. 

Soufiane Rahimi, the MVP in the AFC Champions League, is now coming up against a team from his homeland, having won the Golden Boot at the Paris Olympics for Morocco. However, he will have to do more in front of goal, having managed just one shot on target so far in the United States of America. 

Wydad Casablanca vs Al Ain Betting Odds

Wydad Casablanca have been priced up as the marginal favourites for this clash at 7/5, giving them an implied win probability of 42%. Meanwhile Al Ain are 15/8 to secure maximum points, with a draw priced up at 13/5.

In terms of goals, we are looking at 4/5 for over 2.5 goals, BTTS is 8/13 and Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba is the favourite to score first at 9/2.

Wydad Casablanca to win @ 7/5 

I’m going to look at this first tip in a very simplistic manner. In this group stage, both teams have faced Juventus and Man City, and both teams have lost. But Wydad have fallen to 2-0 and 4-1 defeats, while Al Ain have been smashed by five and six without reply. Surely that tells us in the most basic way, that the Morrocan outfit should have enough to get past Al Ain in their final group game. 

Defensively, Wydad conceded an xG of 1.92 against City, while Al Ain conceded an xG of 4.02 against the same outfit. So this isn’t a fluke, Wydad have proven to be a far more competitive outfit in this competition, and they should be able to find a victory against an Al Ain team that has looked out of its depth, and could end the tournament as one of a handful of pointless clubs. 

Football Odds

Wydad Casablanca to score over 2.5 goals @ 7/2 

I’m going to double down on Wydad here based on Al Ain’s woeful defensive record. Yes, they have faced two giants of European football and been outclassed in both games, but it has been the rate in which they have conceded chances that has been a serious concern. 

City had 21 shots, 11 on target against them while Juve managed 16 total shots, with seven on goal. I don’t think that is particularly sustainable against any opposition and while Wydad obviously don’t have the same financial might or player quality, I do think they will be able to hurt the team from the UAE on a regular basis.

The fact that Al Ain may see more of the ball might also work in our favour. This is a final group game with nothing on the line, so I’m expecting both teams to play with freedom. If Al Ain come out to play, they are likely to get picked off by a team that I view as being far superior to them. Over 2.5 Wydad goals offers big value as my second selection. 

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