France stuck with their tried and tested system, except for Fofana replacing the unfit Rabiot.
Morocco started with a back 3 for the first time this World Cup, Dari taking Amallah’s spot.
Morocco’s new system seemed to have failed them, as they conceded less than 5 minutes in.
Mbappe was desperately swarmed by the Moroccans in the box after a pass disintegrated their shape and their defence was breached by Griezmann. This left Theo Hernandez with no one to mark him. Mbappe is certainly a threat, but Morocco gave him too much respect. An unmarked player in the box is always more dangerous than even the best player in the world.
Saiss, who probably started the match not fully fit, went off injured again and Amallah substituted him. This meant that Morocco went back to their usual 4-3-3. This formation suits them more.
After their goal, France dropped back and played on the counter. Mbappe and Hakimi, who play together at PSG and are good friends, were involved in a crucial battle on the flank.
Most of Morocco’s attacks came through their right side, where Ounahi, Hakimi and Ziyech worked combinations.
El Yamiq almost scored the goal of the tournament, but was denied by the post.
With Thuram replacing Giroud in the 2nd half, Mbappe moved centrally.
Morocco continued dominating possession and creating chances. They put France under bombardment but lacked a good enough striker to deal decisive damage.
The game was put to bed after substitute Kolo Muani scored a tap-in. The concession of the goal was once again due to the Moroccans giving too much attention to Mbappe. Attiyat Allah was dreaming. He could have cleared the ball before it got to Kolo Muani.
With this, Morocco have lost all 6 of their games on expected goals (xG), only this time they lost, for the first time. Probability and the law of large numbers caught up to them.
For the first time in this tournament, Morocco had more of the ball than their opponents. This was due to them trailing for the first time this tournament, and so early on too. This unfamiliar and unfavourable game-state meant they were never able to drag themselves back. They also conceded to an opponent for the first time, including penalty shootouts.
Griezmann was Man of the Match. He was everywhere, creating chances and playing as defensive midfielder.
Praise for Deschamps: From playing Matuidi on the left to allowing Griezmann to roam freely, he consistently manages to find a way to make the abundance of talent at his disposal fit together. Not every manager can do that.
Croatia and Argentina will head into their respective matches with an extra day of rest.
Morocco and Croatia will have a rematch of their group stage first round game which ended 0-0.
France and Argentina gave us a thriller in the knockouts in the 2018 World Cup. More of the same, please. Who are you backing for the final—Argentina or France?
In other news, mass mayhem broke out in France as Moroccans started rioting after the defeat of their country.
BLOGOPUS 