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France booked their place in the World Cup semi-finals for the third consecutive tournament with a composed and dominant 2-0 victory over Morocco in Boston on Thursday, a repeat of the 2022 edition’s last-four clash between the two nations.
Didier Deschamps‘ side were the better team throughout, registering 22 attempts to Morocco‘s five, with an xG of 3.04 against just 0.14 for the Atlas Lions – a statistical gulf that told the story of an evening on which France controlled proceedings almost entirely.
Yet despite that dominance, the first half ended goalless, with Kylian Mbappe‘s penalty – his record-equalling 20th World Cup appearance for France – saved by Yassine Bounou before the break. Deschamps later questioned whether an unusual delay before the spot-kick had unsettled his captain.
Mbappe, however, made emphatic amends. On the hour mark, he collected possession just inside the box, composed himself, and curled a precise finish into the far corner – his eighth goal of the tournament and his 20th in World Cup football overall, drawing level with Lionel Messi in the all-time standings.
Six minutes later, the tie was settled. Mbappe turned provider, playing in Ousmane Dembele, who drove directly at a retreating Moroccan defence and rolled a low shot beyond Bounou to register his fifth goal of the competition.
Morocco exit as the last African side standing, having also reached the quarter-finals in 2022. For France, their semi-final opponents will be determined by Friday’s clash between Spain and Belgium.
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Source: Cityxtra.co.uk
