Spain squeezed into the last 16 despite losing 2-1 to Japan in their final group game.

At one stage La Roja were set to go out when Costa Rica led Germany in the other game - although the Germans, who finished behind Spain on goal difference, eventually won.

"If I had found out, I would have had a heart attack," Spain boss Luis Enrique said afterwards.

Spain beat Costa Rica 7-0 and drew 1-1 with Germany in their other games.

Andy Cryer
BBC Sport in Qatar

It is absolutely rammed outside the stadium now and Morocco fans are outnumbering the Spanish significantly.

Speaking to a couple of Morocco fans on the way in and they are very confident they will be in the quarter-finals.

It would be some result.

Morocco are featuring in the knockout stages of the World Cup for only the second time.

In 1986 they lost 1-0 to Germany in the last 16.

Speaking of penalties... here is our guide on how to take a spot-kick in a World Cup penalty shootout.

Image source, Reuters

If this game goes to penalties, Spain will have no excuse for not scoring theirs.

Spain were eliminated on penalties by Italy in the semi-finals of Euro 2020.

"I imagine that they have done their homework," said boss Luis Enrique.

"Over a year ago, in one of the Spain camps, I told them they had to get here with at least 1,000 penalties taken.

"If you wait until getting here to practise penalties... [it won't be enough].

"It's a moment of maximum tension, a time to show your nerve and that you can shoot the penalty in the way you have decided, if you have trained it a thousand times.

"It says a lot about each player. It's trainable, manageable, how you manage the tension. It's increasingly less luck - the goalkeepers have more influence.

"We have a very good goalkeeper, any of the three can do very well in this situation. Every time we finish training, I see a lot of players taking penalties."

Simon Gleave
Head of sports analysis, Nielsen Gracenote

Morocco are ranked 14th in the world by Gracenote while Spain are currently fourth. Morocco were the highest ranked African team on our world ranking and their performances have moved them up another nine places.

However, they are still underdogs in today's match with 40% chance of becoming the fourth African team to reach the World Cup quarter-finals, and the first since Ghana in 2010. Spain have 60% chance of reaching the last eight according to Gracenote's predictions.

Chris Bevan
BBC Sport at Education City, Qatar

Image source, BBC Sport

You’ve probably been hearing all about Argentina and Brazil fans being the best at this World Cup, but Morocco’s supporters have travelled to Qatar in huge numbers too – I was at their superb win over Belgium in the group stage and 80% of the stadium was full of their very nousy

That win helped the Atlas Lions reach the last 16 for the first time since 1986 and has sparked World Cup fever back home – but fans trying to join the party have been thwarted by a shortage of flights,, external and price hikes for seats on the planes they can book on.

Even so, it seems like Spain are going to be vastly outnumbered today, the same as the Belgians were.

Image source, Reuters

Morocco wing-back Achraf Hakimi thinks his side can "pull off another surprise" against the country he was born in, Spain.

The 24-year-old Paris St-Germain player is from Madrid and came up through Real's academy.

"It is something unique playing for your country and especially now that we are making history," he said.

"It's incredible to see how people are living it with us, and that energy transmits a lot to us and gives us strength to continue and look to do great things."

Hakimi says his side - who were denied a World Cup victory over Spain in the group stages four years ago when Iago Aspas scored an injury-time equaliser - "deserve a little respect".

"Four years of experience since have meant I've come with a more mature mentality," he added.

"Spain are a top-five team and always come to the World Cup to win but our coach has also taught us to have a winning mentality. It doesn't matter who we are up against. We are going to play our way and try to beat them.

"We finished first in the group and I think we deserve a little respect. I think that Spain know that and that they have to be a little afraid of us. Why can't we pull off a surprise again?"

Spain are unbeaten in three previous meetings with Morocco (W2 D1).

They beat them twice in a two-legged play-off for the 1962 World Cup - and drew 2-2 in the 2018 World Cup.

Image source, .

Spain are the best footballing team in this tournament.

I really like their style and their pretty passing patterns but they always try to play through people and if teams are sitting deep they can find it difficult.

I watched them against Japan on Thursday and they had all of the ball but they didn't look like scoring even when they got desperate - maybe Guillem Balague was right about their lack of goals after all.

So, this one is going to be close. Morocco are probably stronger physically, but I don't think they will chase the ball high up the pitch - instead, they will probably sit back and pick their moments, a bit like Japan did against Spain.

Sutton's prediction: 0-1

Image source, EPA

Morocco are the last team left from the Arab world at this World Cup - and the last team from Africa too.

Extra flights were put on from Morocco to Qatar after they reached the last 16 and last night more than 1,000 Moroccans gathered at the ticket office. There were some scuffles with riot police involved.

The Moroccan embassy says it has given 500 tickets to Moroccans living in Qatar. Fifa has made 5,000 extra tickets available for Morocco fans.

“Atlas Lions carry hopes of a whole continent," the Moroccan newspaper Maroc Le Jour declared in a front-page headline.

Spain are only sixth favourites for the World Cup, according to a prediction model from Opta.

The model suggests Brazil now have a better than one-in-four chance to win their sixth World Cup, as they widened the gap from second-favourites Argentina, who face Louis van Gaal's Netherlands in Friday's quarter-final.

France have a marginally better probability than England of lifting the trophy, according to Opta's data. The two nations meet on Saturday.

Morocco? They're the least likely team left to win the trophy.

Image source, Opta

Andy Cryer
BBC Sport in Qatar

Image source, BBC Sport

The last game at Education City of the tournament today and it promises to be a cracker.

Morocco fans are already looking up for this after an impressive World Cup to date.

Can they be the second-round surprise?

That makes seven Spain players who could be classed as midfielders. Only Aymeric Laporte and Jordi Alba are proper defenders, with Ferran Torres a forward.

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport at Education City Stadium

Morocco make just one change from the 2-1 victory over Canada in the final group game.

Selim Amallah comes in for former Huddersfield winger Abdelhamid Sabiri.

Morocco XI: Bounou, Hakimi, Aguerd, Saiss, Mazraoui, Ounahi, Amrabat, Amallah, Ziyech, Boufal, Em-Nesyri.

Spain make five changes to the side that were shocked 2-1 by Japan in their previous game.

Manchester City's Aymeric Laporte returns to the side, as do Marcos Llorente, Jordi Alba, Marco Asensio and Ferran Torres.

Cesar Azpilicueta, Pau Torres, Alejandro Balde, Nico Williams and Alvaro Morata make way.

Spain XI: Simon, Llorente, Rodri, Laporte, Alba, Busquets, Gavi, Pedri, Asensio, Olmo, F Torres.

Six last-16 ties are over - and all have gone the way of the favourites.

Can Spain follow the Netherlands, Argentina, France, England, Croatia and Brazil into the quarters?

Or can Morocco succeed where the USA, Australia, Poland, Senegal, Japan and South Korea failed - and cause an upset?

Welcome to live text commentary of Morocco v Spain.