France vs Morocco Preview

FIFA World Cup holders France will continue their title defence this Wednesday when they face surprise package Morocco at the Al Bayt Stadium.

Les Bleus will look to make history by becoming the first team since Brazil in 1964 to play back-to-back World Cup finals, having lifted the last trophy in 2018.

The World champions qualified for this round of the tournament thanks to a narrow 2-1 win over England, with goals from Aurelien Tchoumeni and Olivier Giroud, coupled with a penalty miss by Harry Kane enough to secure a sixth straight knockout win for Didier Deschamps’ men.

After the game, the Les Bleus coach admitted that his side “got lucky” against England. His side will need another bit of luck in this game as they attempt to end a bad run of form against teams from Africa. The European heavyweights have lost three of their last six World Cup games against African nations, including a 1-0 defeat to Tunisia in this edition.

However, they will fancy their chances in this game given the incredible form of World Cup golden boot leader Kylian Mbappé, record goal scorer Olivier Giroud and record assist record holder for the French national team Antoine Griezmann.

While they dazzle in attack, Les Bleus have a problem at the back as they are the only side left in the tournament yet to record a clean sheet.

And so, Morocco will look to take advantage of that poor defencive record as they attempt to slay another European giant.

The Atlas Lions beat Spain on penalties in the round of 16, before outwitting Portugal in a narrow 1-0 win last time out, courtesy of a powerful header by Youssef En-Nesyri.

That win made them the first African nation to qualify for the semi-finals of the World Cup, leading head coach Walid Regragui to label them the “Rocky of this World Cup”.

Regragui has a point with his assessment though as Morocco have been outsiders in all but one of their five World Cup games, the 2-1 win over Canada.

So they will come into this tie buoyed and hungry to make more history and become the first African side to get to the final of the FIFA event.

Their run to the last four has been built on great game management and a solid defence that has conceded just one goal in Qatar. The North Africans are unbeaten in their last 12 games (W9, D3) and have kept eight clean sheets in their last nine games. In fact, no opposition player has scored past them in nine straight internationals and so they can fancy their chances of recording a clean sheet against a rapid France side that have one of the best attacking trio in the World.

However, with the defencive trio of Romain Saiss, Nayef Aguerd and Noussair Mazraoui all injured, it could be difficult for Morocco to keep France at bay.