In the end, it was a triumph of France’s savoir-faire, their ability to manage this type of occasion, to get the job done – even when below their best. Théo Hernandez scored early and Didier Deschamps could reflect on a fine defensive performance, particularly from Ibrahima Konaté, which would yield a first clean sheet of this World Cup for his team.
When Kylian Mbappé crackled to life inside the area late on, showing his twinkle toes and seeing a low shot deflect, there was the substitute Randal Kolo Muani to tap home. Antoine Griezmann was again excellent in midfield, a case study in composure amid the tumult, all easy balance and technique, his appreciation of everything around him a joy, and France remain on course to defend their title. The final against Argentina on Sunday promises to be a classic.
Written by David Hytner at Al Bayt Stadium
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/dec/14/france-morocco-world-cup-semi-final-match-report under the title “France bring Morocco’s adventure to an end and reach World Cup final”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
