Kylian Mbappé produced a moment of magic to break Morocco's resistance and send France into the World Cup semi-finals with a 2-0 victory. The French captain missed a first-half penalty but redeemed himself with a stunning opener and an assist for Ousmane Dembélé's second goal.
Mbappé's Decisive Impact
Mbappé, once again the key figure, missed a penalty after being tripped by Noussair Mazraoui in the box. The VAR check and Yassine Bounou's return to his line took three minutes and 10 seconds, a delay that may have spooked the striker. His kick was hit limply to Bounou's left, and the goalkeeper saved easily. For Bounou, a penalty specialist, it was the first time he had saved a penalty for Morocco outside of shootouts.
Despite the miss, Mbappé remained undeterred. On the hour mark, a loose clearance was nodded down to Lucas Digne, who played the ball into the box for Mbappé. With Issa Diop standing in front of him, Mbappé used the defender as a shield and struck the ball with a touch of draw past Diop and inside the post. The shot, clocked at 98kph on the stadium scoreboard, was a brilliant, unsaveable finish.
France's Relentless Pressing
France's pressing was so effective that Morocco had no option but to retreat and endure. The French side had 13 chances before Morocco registered their first effort on goal, a free kick slashed wide in the final minute of first-half injury-time. Didier Deschamps' team, despite not being at their fluent best, showed they are capable of grinding out results, reminiscent of West Germany's 1990 World Cup-winning side.
Bounou pushed away a Dayot Upamecano header and kept out a Désiré Doué effort, while Lucas Digne smacked a drive against the bar. But the breakthrough would not come until Mbappé's moment of brilliance.
Second Goal Seals Victory
Once France broke the deadlock, the second goal quickly followed. Again a defender was used as a shield, with Mazraoui interrupting Bounou's view as Dembélé arced his shot towards the bottom corner. The goalkeeper got a hand to it but could not keep it out.
With Ismael Saibari injured, Chemsdine Talbi was brought in on the Morocco left, but he had little chance to attack, his main job being to track the forward sallies of Jules Koundé from right-back. Morocco's only route to a semi-final was to cling on and hope for penalties, but once their initial resistance was broken, France's quality told.
Looking Ahead
France will now face Spain or Belgium in Dallas in the semi-finals. Deschamps was able to withdraw players to keep them fresh for the next challenge. "We are very happy. We played against a very good Moroccan team who defended very well," said Deschamps. "We had to be patient and we were. Kylian was exemplary, even after missing the penalty."
France's attacking evolution under Deschamps continues to impress. They have a relentlessness that might make them irresistible, and if they can sustain this form, it will take something remarkable to prevent them winning their third World Cup in 28 years.
