On Thursday evening, France qualified for the World Cup semi-finals by defeating Morocco 2-0, in a quarter-final that remained tight for much of the match. Les Bleus dominated the game, but they had to wait until the second half to capitalize on their superiority against a Moroccan team largely led by Yassine Bounou. The Moroccan goalkeeper kept his team in the game during a one-sided first half.
Mbappé misses a penalty
In the 25th minute, Kylian Mbappé was brought down in the box by Noussair Mazraoui after a counter-attack launched by Michael Olise. A penalty was awarded, but Mbappé failed to convert. After a long pause, the French striker opened his right foot, Bounou dived the right way and gathered the ball at the second attempt to his left.
Bounou delays the inevitable, Digne hits the bar
France continued to press forward before the break. Morocco were under pressure, and Les Bleus created numerous chances, but Bounou repelled the French attempts. The Moroccan goalkeeper made several key saves, notably denying Dayot Upamecano and Désiré Doué. In the 45th+2 minute, Lucas Digne tried his luck from distance with his left foot after another period of sustained French pressure. The ball, perhaps touched by Bounou, struck the crossbar.
At halftime, the score remained 0-0 despite France's dominance. Morocco struggled to create danger and remained deep-lying, offering few attacking options. Les Bleus, meanwhile, still lacked precision in the final pass or shot, but continued to dictate the tempo of the match.
Mbappé finally breaks the deadlock in the quarter-final
Relief came in the 60th minute. Served by a header from Désiré Doué, Kylian Mbappé held Diop at 20 meters before curling a precise right-footed shot. The ball flew to Bounou's left, leaving him helpless this time. After missing a penalty in the first half, Mbappé put Les Bleus back in front and secured the victory for France, scoring his eighth goal of this World Cup, equaling Messi's tally.
Three minutes later, Diop was booked. Morocco then tried to push forward more, but France maintained control. Les Bleus continued to attack, not dropping back after opening the scoring.
Dembélé puts France in a safe position
In the 66th minute, Ousmane Dembélé scored France's second goal. Played in by a deflection from Mbappé, he capitalized on his teammate's run to cut inside onto his right foot. The striker curled a perfect shot to Bounou's left. The Moroccan goalkeeper got a touch on the ball, but couldn't prevent it from finding the back of the net.
With this goal, France takes a commanding lead. Morocco is forced to respond, but fails to turn the tide.
Morocco too timid to return
It wasn't until the 83rd minute that Morocco registered their first shot on target. Achraf Hakimi and Azzedine Ounahi played a short free kick, and Ounahi unleashed a right-footed shot from 20 meters. Mike Maignan remained alert and punched the ball away without taking any risks.
In the 88th minute, Bradley Barcola nearly made it 3-0. Played in down the left wing, he used his pace and tried his luck from the near post, to Bounou's right. The Moroccan goalkeeper made a firm save, preventing an even heavier defeat.
France in the semi-finals
France wins 2-0 and advances to the World Cup semi-finals. Les Bleus will face the winner of the Spain-Belgium match, which takes place this Friday at 21 pm. The semi-final will be held on July 14th, a lucky date? All of France hopes so…
