Kylian Mbappe redeemed himself after a missed penalty by scoring a brilliant second-half goal to guide France to a 2-0 victory over Morocco in the World Cup quarter-final on Thursday. The win at Boston's stadium sends Les Bleus into the semi-finals, where they will face either Spain or Belgium.
Mbappe's Redemption After Penalty Miss
The first half was dominated by Mbappe's missed penalty. After being fouled by Noussair Mazraoui, the Real Madrid star stepped up in the 33rd minute but saw his spot-kick saved by Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. The delay of over three minutes for a VAR check added to the tension. Bounou, who has now saved seven of nine penalties faced at World Cups, also denied Desire Doue and tipped Lucas Digne's shot onto the crossbar before halftime.
Second-Half Brilliance Seals Victory
Mbappe broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute with his 20th goal in 20 World Cup appearances. Picking up the ball on the left edge of the box, he used Issa Diop as a screen and curled a precise strike past Bounou. Six minutes later, Ousmane Dembele doubled the lead, driving forward and beating Bounou with a low shot that slipped through the goalkeeper's fingers. Morocco rarely threatened, missing injured star Ismael Saibari, and were eliminated by France for the second consecutive World Cup after a 2-0 loss in the 2022 semi-final.
France Advance to Semi-Finals
Manager Didier Deschamps substituted Mbappe late as a precaution after the forward took a few knocks. Mbappe now shares the tournament lead with Lionel Messi on eight goals. France will await the winner of the Spain vs. Belgium quarter-final for a place in the final.
