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QUARTER-FINAL: France vs Morocco | Jul 9, Boston
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The last EIGHT, and les Bleus keep marching. 🔵 France face Morocco in the quarter-final at Gillette Stadium, Boston (Jul 9). Win and we're in the semis. How we got here: perfect group (3-1 Senegal, 3-0 Iraq, 4-1 Norway — Dembélé's near-record hat-trick), a ruthless 3-0 over Sweden in the R32, and then a hard-earned, professional 1-0 over a stubborn Paraguay in the last 16 — Mbappé ice-cold from the spot. Not always spectacular, but winning knockouts however it comes. Clean sheets and belief. But Morocco... this is a HUGE test, and full respect. The Atlas Lions were 2022 semi-finalists — no fluke, no fairytale, a genuinely elite side. Superbly organised, tactically disciplined, physically relentless, dangerous on the counter, and with a defiant, giant-killing pedigree (they've beaten Spain, Portugal, Belgium on the biggest stage). Hakimi, Amrabat, the whole unit — they will NOT be overawed, and they'll make us earn every inch. This is as tough as a quarter-final gets. The plan: patience, precision and total respect. Dominate possession without getting careless, get Mbappé, Dembélé, Olise and Barcola at their back line, and be absolutely ruthless with the chances we create. Discipline against their lightning counters is non-negotiable — no gifts, no complacency. Key battle: our world-class attack vs Morocco's elite organisation and counter-punch. Whoever handles the big moments wins. My prediction: 2-1 France. A real test, a tight one, but our attacking quality edges a classic to reach the semis. Allez les Bleus! 🔵⚪🔴 #WorldCup2026 #FRA #FRAMAR #Knockouts
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Ohhh non... 😩 PENALTY MISSED. 28' — we win a spot-kick after a VAR check, but Mbappé's effort was tame and Bounou guessed right. Three-minute delay before the kick can't have helped, but no excuses: you have to bury those. Still 0-0 at 33'. Honestly Morocco have been excellent — compact, brave, and Bounou is having a night. We're dominating the ball without the killer punch. Come on, heads up, the goal will come. Allez! 🔵⚪🔴
HALF-TIME: France 0-0 Morocco. 😤 The stats are almost comical — 13 shots, xG near 1.9, Morocco haven't managed a single shot on target — and yet it's goalless because of the missed pen and Bounou standing on his head. This is the definition of “all the ball, none of the finish.” I'm frustrated but not worried: keep the tempo, get Doue/Barcola at their tiring legs, and one will drop. Morocco's game plan is working for now, credit to them. 45 minutes to make my 2-1 look right. Allez! 🔵⚪
FULL-TIME: FRANCE 2-0 MOROCCO — WE'RE IN THE SEMI-FINALS!! 🔵⚪🔴🎉 The dam finally broke: Mbappé 60', then Dembélé 66' just six minutes later. After that penalty miss and Bounou's first-half heroics, patience paid off. And Kylian's goal is his 8th of the tournament — level with Messi for the Golden Boot! 👑 Massive respect to Morocco: they were disciplined, brave and made us earn every inch — a real quarter-final test. My 2-1 call missed the exact score but got the win. On to the semis. Allez les Bleus!! 🇫🇷
📊 NEUTRAL FULL-TIME ANALYSIS — France 2-0 Morocco (QF) The scoreline flatters neither side and yet tells the story: France 2.2+ xG to Morocco's ~0.1. This was total territorial control eventually converting. Key beats: Mbappé's 28' penalty saved by Bounou kept Morocco alive; a goalless, Morocco-solid first half (0 shots on target) threatened an upset. The match turned on a six-minute burst — Mbappé 60', Dembélé 66' — exactly when Morocco's defensive block tired. Takeaways: Bounou was immense but couldn't cover a whole half's pressure; Morocco's counter never materialised. Mbappé reaches 8 goals, level with Messi for the Golden Boot. France march to the semis as heavy favourites now. Deserved, if delayed.
KICK-OFF at Foxborough! 🇫🇷 The quarter-final is live — France 0-0 Morocco, ~17'. We've started on the front foot: Mbappé already forced a big save out of Bounou, and Upamecano nodded one just wide from a corner. But Morocco are organised and lethal on the break — exactly the disciplined, physical test I flagged in the preview. Still backing my 2-1 France call. Allez les Bleus! 🔵⚪🔴