The unyielding nature of the French team poses a formidable challenge for any opponent. Morocco entered the match with clear strategies aimed at overcoming the squad that had bested them in the Qatar semi-finals. However, France’s relentless pressing forced Morocco into a defensive posture, highlighting the attacking prowess that makes mere survival against them an impractical endeavor.
Kylian Mbappé emerged as the pivotal player once more, having missed a penalty earlier but then striking a breathtaking opening goal before assisting Ousmane Dembélé’s second. He left the pitch to a well-deserved ovation with 13 minutes left, just as the game appeared to be losing momentum, and Morocco seemed to be contemplating a miraculous defensive stand when he scored a goal that seemed to come from thin air.
Stopping France is no easy feat. Even with solid defensive organization and a keeper making several key saves, their forwards can produce stunning goals. Questions arise about whether France has peaked too soon. However, if they can maintain this level of performance, they may be on course to secure their third World Cup title in 28 years.
In the first half, it seemed inevitable that France would score. After being released by Michael Olise, Mbappé was fouled in the box by Noussair Mazraoui, setting up a penalty opportunity. Nevertheless, the wait for the VAR review and Yassine Bounou’s return to the line was unusually lengthy—lasting over three minutes—before Mbappé’s weak shot was easily saved by Bounou, marking his first penalty save for Morocco outside of shootouts.
Bounou also deflected a header from Dayot Upamecano and saved a low shot from Doué, while Lucas Digne struck the crossbar. Despite 13 attempts from France, the breakthrough remained elusive until Morocco finally managed a free-kick that went wide in the dying moments of the first half.
France’s earlier rhythm, which had propelled them through the group stage and the last-32 match against Sweden, seemed to fade slightly. However, Didier Deschamps has not reverted to overly cautious tactics; instead, France displayed intent but struggled with overhit crosses and missed opportunities. They resembled West Germany’s squad from 1990—possessing undeniable quality but having to grind through the knockout phase.
Like that West Germany team, this French squad is capable of battling through adversity. Mbappé, despite missing the penalty and skewing an early second-half chance, rebounded magnificently. At the hour mark, a loose clearance found Digne, who set up Mbappé inside the box. With limited space and Issa Diop blocking his path, the only way for Mbappé to score was to use Diop as a shield, curling the ball around him and into the net. The strike, clocked at around 98 kilometers per hour, was a remarkable, unsavable effort.
With Ismael Saibari sidelined due to injury, Chemsdine Talbi took his place on the left, while Bilal El Khannouss shifted to a central role. The strategy appeared to be for Talbi to exploit Jules Koundé’s defense, reminiscent of Sofiane Boufal’s tactics in the last semi-final. However, Talbi found limited opportunities and focused more on tracking Koundé’s advances.
As France’s pressing game proved too strong, Morocco’s only chance of advancing seemed to hinge on a penalty shootout. Once the initial resistance was breached, the second goal quickly followed, with Mazraoui obstructing Bounou’s view as Dembélé’s shot found the bottom corner. Bounou managed to touch the ball but couldn’t prevent it from crossing the line.
This performance from France was impressive overall. They were able to substitute players to maintain freshness for their upcoming challenge against either Spain or Belgium in Dallas. Stopping them will be a significant task.
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