France advances to World Cup semi-finals after defeating Morocco
France secured a 2-0 victory over Morocco, ending the Atlas Lions’ aspirations of reaching consecutive FIFA World Cup semi-finals. The match, played in Boston, saw goals from Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé in the second half, confirming France’s progression to the semi-finals for the third time in a row.
The game began with France asserting dominance, creating an early opportunity in the fourth minute when Mbappé’s shot was deflected wide. Shortly after, Dayot Upamecano’s header from the resulting corner was saved by Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. France continued to press, with Lucas Digne hitting the crossbar with a long-range effort before halftime.
First Half Dominance and Missed Opportunity
Didier Deschamps’ side controlled the initial period of the match. A significant moment occurred when Mbappé was fouled inside the penalty area by Noussair Mazraoui. Following a three-minute VAR review, a penalty was awarded to France. However, Mbappé’s spot-kick was saved by Bounou, who became the first Moroccan goalkeeper to save a penalty during normal play at a World Cup.
Despite the missed penalty, France maintained possession and limited Morocco’s presence in their penalty area during the first half. Morocco struggled to create clear chances, barely stepping into the opposition box.
Second Half Breakthrough
The pattern of play continued into the second 45 minutes, with France eventually breaking the deadlock. Mbappé atoned for his earlier penalty miss on the hour mark, finding space in the box and scoring with a finish past the goalkeeper. This goal marked his eighth of the tournament.
Just six minutes later, Mbappé turned provider, assisting Dembélé. Dembélé’s low effort beat Bounou, doubling France’s advantage. This strike was Dembélé’s fifth goal of the competition, making France the first team since Brazil in 2002 to have two players score at least five goals in the same World Cup.
Mbappé’s goal also increased his World Cup tally to 20, placing him second on the all-time scoring list, behind Lionel Messi. The France captain also achieved a milestone by becoming the first player since 1966 to register 10 goal involvements in two different World Cups, having achieved eight goals and two assists in both the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the 2026 tournament.
Morocco’s Efforts and France’s Progression
Morocco attempted to find a way back into the game in the final 10 minutes, with Azzedine Ounahi’s powerful shot from the edge of the box being saved by France’s goalkeeper, Mike Maignan. Despite efforts from players like Achraf Hakimi and Neil El Aynaoui, Morocco was unable to breach the disciplined French defence.
France will now advance to face either Belgium or Spain in the World Cup semi-finals as they continue their pursuit of a third World Cup title. Morocco concludes its campaign, having reached the last eight as the only African team remaining after Egypt’s exit in the Round of 16.
The Atlas Lions had hoped to build on their historic semi-final appearance at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but Didier Deschamps’ side proved too strong on this occasion. France’s victory on Thursday secures their spot in the next stage of the tournament.
Source: goal.com
