France End Morocco's Dream Again: Mbappé and Dembélé Fire Les Bleus into the Semifinals

It felt like a replay of the last World Cup. Just as in 2022, Morocco's remarkable journey came to an end with a 2-0 defeat against France. Back then, the loss came in the semifinals; this time, it arrived in the quarterfinals. Although Morocco's campaign is over, Africa's sixth-ranked nation once again left a lasting impression on the global stage. Their impressive 44-match unbeaten run also came to an end. Kylian Mbappé recovered from a missed penalty to score a brilliant goal, while Ousmane Dembélé added the second.

France began the match in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Mbappé leading the line. Behind him were Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé, and Désiré Doué. Mbappé and Doué frequently attacked down the left flank, looking to stretch Morocco's defensive shape, while Olise operated on the right.

Didier Deschamps' tactical plan was clear: keep Morocco's two full-backs occupied defensively. This served two purposes. First, it prevented Achraf Hakimi and his fellow full-backs from launching their trademark rapid counter-attacks from wide areas. Second, it created pockets of space in the attacking third for Mbappé to exploit. In midfield, Adrien Rabiot and Manu Koné acted as the double pivot, tasked with disrupting Morocco's build-up play.

However, Morocco executed two aspects of their game exceptionally well in the first half. They left virtually no space between their midfield and defensive lines, and France's attacking quartet relied a little too heavily on individual brilliance rather than fluid combination play. As a result, Les Bleus failed to break the deadlock before halftime.

France still created several opportunities. Two headers from three dangerous crosses went wide, with Dembélé and Rabiot unable to direct their efforts on target. On another occasion, Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou produced an excellent save after a close-range header lacked enough power.

Then came the turning point.

Morocco had committed players forward in attack, but after Hakimi lost possession, France launched a swift counterattack. Noussair Mazraoui brought down Mbappé inside the penalty area, giving France a spot-kick. Yet, much like Lionel Messi the previous day, Mbappé failed to convert, as Bounou made another outstanding save.

France continued to squander chances. Doué won possession high up the pitch, drove into the penalty area, but his shot was denied by Bounou once again.

Despite being forced onto the defensive for much of the game, Morocco occasionally threatened through Brahim Díaz. His clever movement unsettled the French defense, but Morocco lacked sufficient support in advanced positions to turn those promising moments into genuine scoring opportunities.

France emerged after the break with noticeable tactical adjustments.

Olise drifted inside from the right to operate more centrally, providing better service to Mbappé. Meanwhile, Doué moved inward from the left, allowing the overlapping full-back to exploit the touchline. These positional rotations and quick passing combinations added greater sharpness and unpredictability to France's attack.

The tactical shift finally broke Morocco's resistance.

France struck twice in quick succession. Mbappé, despite missing his earlier penalty, demonstrated exactly why he is regarded as one of the world's finest forwards, converting a half-chance with remarkable precision. Soon afterward, Dembélé surged through the middle on a solo run before calmly finishing with a low shot that slipped past Bounou to make it 2-0.

At that stage, the contest was effectively over.

With one eye on the semifinal, Deschamps substituted both Mbappé and Doué to preserve their energy. Unlike their performances earlier in the tournament, Morocco struggled to produce the fast, devastating counter-attacks that had become their trademark. Credit belonged not only to France's superior quality and technical ability but also to their capacity to adapt tactically as the match evolved.

France now turn their attention to the semifinals.

Meanwhile, the race for the Golden Boot has become even more fascinating. Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé are level on eight goals each, with Erling Haaland close behind on seven, setting up an exciting finish to the tournament.

Photo courtesy: X