France produced a professional display to defeat Morocco 2-0 and secure a place in the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup after a contest that was goalless at the interval before Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele struck in the second half to settle the quarter-final.
The match kicked off in Massachusetts with temperatures hovering around 32 degrees, and France immediately looked the more assertive side.
Didier Deschamps’ men dominated possession in the opening minutes and created the first clear opportunities through Mbappe and Dayot Upamecano, forcing goalkeeper Yassine Bounou into early action.
Morocco gradually settled into the game and enjoyed spells of possession, but the Atlas Lions struggled to threaten Mike Maignan in the French goal.
The North Africans were organised defensively, with Achraf Hakimi, Noussair Mazraoui and their back line repeatedly denying France space in dangerous areas.
France continued to probe and almost found the breakthrough in the 20th minute when Jules Kounde won a corner that eventually fell to Adrien Rabiot, whose header from close range sailed over the bar.
The biggest moment of the first half arrived in the 25th minute. After Morocco lost possession high up the pitch, France launched a swift counterattack.
Mbappe burst into the penalty area and was brought down by Mazraoui, prompting the referee to award a penalty.
Following a lengthy VAR check and an extended delay before the kick was taken, Mbappe stepped up in the 28th minute. However, the France captain produced an unconvincing effort that Bounou comfortably saved, keeping the score level.
France responded by pushing forward again. Dembele curled a shot narrowly wide after the restart, while Desire Doue forced Bounou into another save with a low effort.
Lucas Digne then came closest to scoring before the break when his swerving strike crashed against the crossbar in stoppage time.
Despite France’s pressure, the teams went into halftime deadlocked at 0-0, with Morocco relieved to have survived the missed penalty and the late French chances.
The second half began in scrappy fashion as both sides struggled to establish rhythm. Morocco attempted to break through with Ounahi and Brahim Diaz, but indecision in the final third allowed France to recover defensively.
France eventually made their superiority count in the 60th minute. Mbappe collected the ball on the left edge of the box, shifted inside and curled a superb right-footed strike beyond the fully stretched Bounou and into the far corner to give Les Bleus a deserved 1-0 lead.
Morocco appealed for a possible handball earlier in the move, but after a VAR review the goal was allowed to stand.
Just six minutes later, France doubled their advantage. Dembele carried the ball through the middle without being closed down and unleashed a low shot from the edge of the area. Bounou got a hand to the effort, but the ball squirmed into the bottom corner for 2-0.
The quick-fire double blow left Morocco with a mountain to climb. Walid Regragui introduced Sofyan Amrabat and Abderrazak Hamdallah as part of a series of substitutions aimed at reviving his side, while France brought on Warren Zaire-Emery to shore up midfield.
France then managed the game effectively. Morocco enjoyed more possession and created a few late openings, with Ounahi forcing Maignan into a save from distance and El Aynaoui heading into the side netting from a Hakimi delivery, but the French defence held firm.
There was a brief concern for France in the 76th minute when Mbappe went down and required treatment.
The forward was eventually replaced by Jean-Philippe Mateta in what appeared to be a precautionary substitution, and he left the pitch smiling and acknowledging the crowd.
Bradley Barcola nearly added a third goal late on when his effort was turned behind by Bounou, while Mateta headed over from the resulting corner.
After a controlled closing period, the final whistle confirmed a 2-0 victory for France. Mbappe’s goal and Dembele’s strike ensured the former champions advanced to the semi-finals, while Morocco bowed out after a spirited campaign in which Bounou’s performance once again stood out despite the defeat.
