France will take on Morocco in the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2022 on Tuesday night, with a place in the final on the line.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup champions France will certainly be the favourites heading into the contest against Morocco, and it remains to be seen whether they can grind out a positive result here.
Les Bleuf managed to pick up a 2-1 win over England in the quarter-finals despite not managing to hit top form. France will certainly need to improve against a well-organised and determined Morocco side tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Morocco are the first African team to reach the semi-finals of a World Cup, and they will be hoping to make history once again when they take on France on Wednesday. The Atlas Lions managed to upset the odds and eliminate Portugal in the quarterfinals, and they will be hoping to achieve a similar feat in the semifinals now.
It will be interesting to see if Morocco can step up and grind out another surprise win against the defending world champions this week. The Cinderella Story has garnered many admirers, and Morocco will be eager to continue the run against France.
France will play in the 𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗶-𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 of the 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝘂𝗽 for the 7️⃣th time in their history 🔥
It's the first time the defending champions have reached this stage of the tournament since Brazil in 1998 👊#FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/PskO96FIIe
— French Team ⭐⭐ (@FrenchTeam) December 13, 2022
Team News and Tactics
France
Didier Deschamps will have a fully-fit squad to choose from, and France do not have any notable injury concerns ahead of the semi-final clash against Morocco on Wednesday. Hugo Lloris is expected to start in goal after an impressive showing against England.
Barcelona defender Jules Kounde is expected to deputise as the right-back in the absence of a more natural option. At the heart of the defence, Raphael Varane could partner with Ibrahima Konate. Dayot Upamecano had a mediocre display against England, and he could be dropped in favour of the Liverpool defender here. Theo Hernandez should continue as the left-back here.
Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot put on a stellar display against England, and both players are expected to start in the base of France’s midfield here. While Tchouameni will look to break up the play, Rabiot will hope to drive the team forward with his technical ability and physicality.
Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele are expected to start in the wide areas, and they will add pace, flair and creativity to the French attack. Antoine Griezmann should operate in between the lines, and he will link the midfield with the attack. Olivier Giroud was excellent against England, and he will hope to get on the score sheet once again in the semi-final.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Kounde, Varane, Konate, Hernandez; Tchouameni, Rabiot; Dembele, Griezmann, Mbappe; Giroud
Morocco
Morocco could be without a number of key players for this game. Walid Cheddira was shown a red card in the game against Portugal, and he is set to miss out here.
Meanwhile, Captain Romain Saiss and centre-back Nayef Aguerd are doubtful with injury issues. Yassine Bounou will start in goal after his fantastic performances in the tournament so far.
In the back four, Achraf Hakimi will continue as the right-back, and Yahya Attiyat-Allah will start as the left-back. If Aguerd and Saiss miss out, the likes of Achraf Dari and Jawad El Yamiq will come into the side as the centre-backs.
In the midfield, Azzedine Ounahi will partner alongside Sofyan Amrabat and Selim Amallah. The front three pretty much picks itself, with Youssef En-Nesyri leading the line. Hakim Ziyech and Sofiane Boufal will be the wide options.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Bounou; Hakimi, El Yamiq, Dari, Attiyat-Allah; Amallah, Amrabat, Ounahi; Ziyech, En-Nesyri, Boufal
Key Stats
- France have never lost against Morocco, with all five of their previous meetings coming in friendlies (W3 D2). The most recent encounter was a 2-2 draw in Saint-Denis in November 2007.
- France have alternated between victory and defeat in their six World Cup meetings with African nations. Les Bleus lost 1-0 to Tunisia last time out in this year’s group stage. No team has ever lost against two different African sides in the same World Cup before.
- No opposition player has scored against Morocco so far at the 2022 World Cup, with their only goal conceded coming via an own goal against Canada. They have kept four clean sheets so far at this tournament, with the last two sides to record five in a single edition going on to lift the trophy (Spain 2010, Italy 2006).
- Morocco are unbeaten in their last six World Cup matches (W3 D3), the longest unbeaten run by an African nation in World Cup history.
- Antoine Griezmann has been involved in eight goals in his last eight World Cup starts (3 goals, 5 assists), setting up both of France’s goals in their 2-1 win against England in the quarter-final. Seven of these eight involvements have been in the knockout stages of the competition.
Player to Watch
Kylian Mbappe
Mbappe has been in breathtaking form during the FIFA World Cup 2022, and he will be one of the contenders for the Golden Ball. The 23-year-old has five goals and two assists to his name at the World Cup so far, and he could be the one to break down the resolute Morocco defence.
Mbappe is our man to watch in the semi-finals. France will need him firing on all cylinders if they are to go all the way, starting with the game against Morocco.
Prediction
France 2-1 Morocco
France are the better team here, and their attackers Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud are in impressive form right now. Morocco have a solid back four, but they are likely to be depleted defensively because of the potential absence of Nayef Aguerd and Romain Saiss. France have enough quality to grind out a win here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the World champions.
