France-Morocco 2-0: Hernandez and Kolo Muani take Les Bleus to the final

The final of the World Cup will be Argentina-France. If Messi struggled little to break Croatia’s resistance, the task of Mbappé and his companions was more complicated, who beat an indomitable Morocco thanks to goals from Theo Hernandez and Kolo Muani. Sunday afternoon (4 pm) at the Lusail stadium both the World Cup and the title of top scorer will be up for grabs given that the 7-time Ballon d’Or winner and the French champion are both first in the striker’s standings with 5 goals each. Deschamps will go in search of a second World Cup that hasn’t occurred since 1958-62 (triumphs of Brazil), while Argentina will aim to lift the Cup after having succeeded the last time with Maradona, in 1986. Messi will have the task of rewriting the story in front of the companion of PSG.

THEO BRAND

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France immediately folded the match to their side and never looked back. Les Bleus had more quality, more international experience and they made it weigh despite the absences of the influenced Rabiot and Upamecano. It was the Milan player Theo Hernandez’s goal after less than 5 minutes that unlocked the match on a slip by El Yamiq who naively missed Griezmann, still without a goal in this World Cup, but decisive with his flash in the action of 1 -0. Morocco had abandoned the 4-3-3 in favor of a more covered 5-4-1, but it wasn’t the same team as always because, without the injured Aguerd, after a quarter of an hour they also lost the other column of defense, Captain Saiss. The tactical plan to defend themselves more compactly didn’t pay off and the first African national team to reach the semi-final of a World Cup seemed about to collapse. Regragui was good at correcting the initial mistake and returning to 4-3-3 thanks to the addition of Amallah: his formation has regained its balance and above all has shaken off the emotion and fear with which had entered the field. France, which had hit the post with Giroud (in the action in which the already bruised Saiss had knocked out), came close to doubling first with Mbappé and then with Giroud who, all alone, finished wide. However, the Lions of the Atlas increased in intensity and began to attack especially on the right with Hakimi and Ziyech. Driven by the red tide in the stands, the Moroccans began to suffer less pressure from their opponents and, following Ounahi’s dangerous shot after 8′, they added the post hit with a spectacular overhead kick from El Yamiq. They had more possession and forced the world champions to defend and start again.

HERO KOLO MUANI

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In the second half, Morocco seemed even more courageous because Attiat-Allah, who came on for a non-top Mazraoui, guaranteed push on the left wing. The dangers for Les Bleus thus came from both sides: a grazing cross from Ziyech made the 35,000 Moroccans in the stands flutter, but Attiat-Allah also put a great ball in the center on which Koundé avoided a goal that was almost done. This was the best moment for the Africans, with Amrabat dominating in the middle of the field. Too bad En-Nesyri wasn’t in the evening. Morocco exceeded 60% possession, but, with their centre-forward tarnished (and then replaced), never hit the target defended by Lloris in the second half. Thus, after a whirlwind of substitutions that brought Thuram, Hamdallah, Aboukhlal, Ezzalzouli and Kolo Muani onto the pitch, it was the latter, the Frankfurt forward, who scored the 2-0 with the first ball touched. The match was over at that point, but to celebrate the second consecutive World Final Deschamps had to wait for the end of the 6 minutes of added time in which Morocco came close to the 2-1 goal that he deserved.