Bounou Denies Mbappé in Scoreless First Half
The match opened at a furious pace, fueled by a highly charged atmosphere from both sets of supporters. France earned a golden opportunity to take an early lead when the referee awarded them a penalty kick.
Kylian Mbappé stepped up to take the spot-kick, but Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou executed a spectacular diving save to deny the French captain. Bounou’s heroics kept the Atlas Lions level and energized the Moroccan squad, who managed to frustrate the French attack and maintain a 0-0 deadlock heading into the halftime break.
Second-Half Blitz Seals French Victory
France finally broke the deadlock on the hour mark. Redeeming himself for the first-half penalty miss, Mbappé produced a moment of individual brilliance, curling a precise strike past Bounou in the 60th minute to make it 1-0.
Before Morocco could regroup, Les Bleus struck again. Just six minutes later, Ousmane Dembélé capitalized on defensive spaces, smoothly slotting home a low drive in the 66th minute to double the French advantage.
1.Mbappé Breaks the Deadlock (60′): France 1 – 0 Morocco.
Kylian Mbappé redeems his earlier penalty miss with a brilliant, curling strike that beats Yassine Bounou.
2.Dembélé Doubles the Lead (66′): France 2 – 0 Morocco.
Just six minutes later, Ousmane Dembélé capitalizes on momentum to slot home a disciplined, low drive.
Defense Holds Firm to Repeat History
Faced with a two-goal deficit, Morocco pushed forward with numbers, creating several late opportunities. However, a disciplined French defensive line successfully neutralized the African side’s attack until the final whistle.
The victory replicates the outcome of the 2022 World Cup semi-final, where France also eliminated Morocco. While the Atlas Lions exit the tournament after an impressive quarter-final run, France moves one step closer to defending their global status as they head into the final four.