France reach World Cup semi-finals despite Mbappé penalty miss

Didier Deschamps’ formidable France side look increasingly unstoppable after securing a place in the World Cup semi-finals with a commanding performance. On Thursday night, Les Bleus demonstrated why they remain favourites to reach a third consecutive global final, a historic feat previously achieved only by West Germany and Brazil. Standing between France and another final is a daunting semi-final clash against Spain, a hurdle that will test their championship credentials to the limit.

The fixture offered a distinct sense of déjà vu, mirroring the 2022 semi-final in Qatar where France also emerged 2-0 victors against Morocco. However, the dynamics of Deschamps’ squad have evolved since that night. Lucas Hernandez watched the match from the substitutes’ bench, while Randal Kolo Muani, who scored in the Qatar fixture, was completely absent from this tournament squad. Yet, with Kylian Mbappé leading the line, France possessed the clinical edge needed to settle the tie, even on an evening where their talismanic forward suffered a rare blemish from the penalty spot.

France established their authority from the opening whistle. Just four minutes into the encounter, Dayot Upamecano connected cleanly with a powerful header, forcing a sharp save from Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. The French pressure intensified as they dictated the tempo, leaving the Moroccan defence consistently stretched.

The turning point of the first half arrived in the 25th minute. Désiré Doué capitalised on a lapse by Achraf Hakimi in the Moroccan half, quickly feeding the ball to Mbappé. The forward burst into the penalty area before being brought down by Noussair Mazraoui. The infringement was blatant, but a lengthy Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review lasting three minutes and ten seconds delayed the spot-kick. The prolonged interruption appeared to affect Mbappé’s concentration. His subsequent penalty was uncharacteristically poor—a low, tame effort to the goalkeeper’s left that was comfortably gathered by Bounou.

Bounou remained the busier of the two keepers, denying another goal-bound effort from Doué ten minutes later. Right on the stroke of half-time, France came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock when Lucas Digne’s thunderous strike rattled the crossbar.

France maintained their aggressive intent after the interval. Though Morocco enjoyed a brief spell of possession, the European giants ruthlessly asserted control with two goals in the space of four minutes. Mbappé redeemed his earlier error, collecting the ball just outside the penalty box, shifting slightly to his right, and unleashing a swift shot that left a diving Bounou helpless.

• With Morocco’s defensive shape compromised, France struck again four minutes later. Mbappé turned provider, cleverly drawing multiple Moroccan defenders towards him before sliding a precise pass to Ousmane Dembélé. The winger took a touch and slotted a low, right-footed shot home. While Bounou might have done better with his positioning, his overall performance prevented a rout. The Moroccan goalkeeper made at least five world-class saves to keep the scoreline respectable, thwarting an opponent that refused to be rattled by Morocco’s physical tactics and persistent attempts to disrupt the game’s flow.