France Cruise Into World Cup Semi-finals As Mbappe Shines Against Morocco

France advanced to their third successive FIFA World Cup semi-final after registering a 2-0 victory over Morocco at Boston Stadium in Foxborough.

Captain Kylian Mbappe put behind an early penalty miss to produce a match-winning display, scoring once and creating another as Les Bleus moved one step closer to the title.

The French side dominated possession from the outset and threatened early through Dayot Upamecano, whose header was comfortably gathered by Yassine Bounou.

France earned a penalty after Noussair Mazraoui brought down Mbappe inside the area, but the Moroccan goalkeeper guessed correctly to keep out the spot-kick and ensure the first half ended goalless.

France broke the deadlock shortly after the restart when Mbappe curled a precise strike beyond Bounou from the edge of the box to score his eighth goal of the tournament.

The captain then turned provider, picking out Ousmane Dembele, who created space before curling a composed finish into the net to double France’s lead.

Mbappe’s goal and assist took his overall contribution for France to 101 goal involvements, comprising 64 goals and 37 assists, making him the first player to achieve the feat for the national team.

Dembele also entered the record books by becoming only the third French player to score five goals in a single World Cup, alongside Mbappe and Just Fontaine.

France comfortably managed the remainder of the contest to continue their impressive World Cup run after winning the title in 2018 and finishing runners-up in 2022.

After the match, coach Didier Deschamps praised Mbappe’s mentality, saying the captain never doubts himself despite missing the penalty. He added that France had achieved its immediate objective and would now focus on recovering before the semi-final.

Also Read: England Outclass India In Bristol As Harry Brook And Phil Salt Secure T20I Series