World Cup Rematch France 2 0 Morocco 2022 Semi Final

The Atlas Lions have moved mountains to get here. And with the footballing summit of World Cup final tantalisingly close, there remains one more mighty peak to conquer. The awesome prospect of the world champions. Well, another day, another record for Hugo Lloris. His 19th World Cup match. No goalkeeper has played more. He equals the mark set by Manuel Neuer. The mark made on the selection by the hotel air conditioning is perhaps more significant, though. They've lost Diop and Mercado to a cold. Ibrahim Kanate replaces him. You said Fofano in for Adrien Rabiot in the midfield for the same reason. Olivier Giroud, match winner via Harry Maguire in the quarterfinal. One behind Messi and Mbappe in the chase for golden boots. Fofano and Kanate last appeared from the start when they lost to Tunisia in the group stage. Yassine Bono is safely established as one of the goalkeepers of the tournament. He plays behind a back five today. The strains and struggles of Saïs and Mazraoui all overcome remarkably, but they've lost Naya Fagged, very close to kickoff. Ashraf Dari, a late caller. Saïs and Sofiane Bouffal, like their coach, both French-born. And Nassiri, their greatest goal threat, leads the attack. Mazraoui missed the battle with Portugal, but plays. Walid Shadida is suspended after his red card in that match. Well, can they stop this man? Only Juste Fontaine, a legendary figure, has scored four World Cup goals for France. Well, Youssef Nassiri, a standard bearer for his country. He has now scored in two separate World Cup tournaments. Kembele. Griezmann was a little disappointed that no one spotted his run. Varane. And Griezmann has got away. Elia Miklis sprawling. Oh, and Mbappe! Does get his shot away. And Hernandez coming in! Well, he threatened to be the villain of the peace against England. But how quickly the fortunes can change in World Cup football. And France, the world champions, grab the game by the scruff of the neck. Really good agility. Watch that, look, that ball's bounced up above shoulder height, almost head height. But he somehow manages to acrobatically, both feet off the ground, gets over the top of it, hits it down into the floor and gives the world champions a lead. It's an urgent action. Terrific strike from Munahi, this. But you can see he's almost using Varane as that wall to curl it around him. And that is sneaking inside the post. It is, it's a really important stop from Lloris. And Giroud's got him behind Saïs here. Olivier Giroud! I mean, that is as sweet and as pure a strike. It's just on the outside of the post. But that's a that's a huge worry. And Romain Saïs makes a reluctant, but it seemed right from the start, inevitable exit. The fact that Olivier Giroud was able to get away virtually completely unchallenged. Amala, given away to Chiouameni. Saïs can't halt him. That's the starting gun for Mbappé. Kylian Mbappé! Oh, Yamik able to sweep it away. And Giroud! Oh, what a chance. I mean, it's exhilarating watching him. Look, when he goes, there is nothing going to catch him. And the ball just didn't catch him up. He just couldn't wrap his foot around it. But Giroud could. Mbappé, Griezmann, Chiouameni, Koundé, Dembélé, Griezmann, promising. Very well-timed challenge, Chaumel, Yamik. He felt it just got a little nick of Griezmann. Lovely football, that from France. Similar height. Griezmann takes the low road. And Varane sneaking in there at that front post. It's not one of Griezmann's finest. Hakimi, Unai. Great run here by Amala. Hakimi on the gallop, trying to feed it across. He forces a Moroccan corner. Yeah, it's a great run, that. Powerful surge from Hakimi from that right-back position. And really good work from Canate to make sure that that cross doesn't enter the six-yard box. Really good work from him. Nassiri dancing in there. Oh, Darry didn't quite get there on the near post. Oh, an acrobatic! The post from El Yamik, I think, the centre-back. Oh, what an incredible effort. So unlucky, that is. It's a dangerous ball that whipped in from Ziyech. Watch this from the centre-half. I mean, that is so, so unlucky. How do you think he got fingertips on that? Well, I was rubbing my eyes in disbelief to see the big centre-back take that on. France down to ten at the moment. Ziyech. In by Bouffal! Oh, and Ati Atala coming in. Suomeni away. Mbappe back on the pitch, but something of a passenger, it would seem, at the moment. Just feeling it out. Can Morocco make the most of this? On top for the moment. Well, Ati Atala's got him behind. He's kept his head! Oh, vital from Canate! Amrabat now. Oh, that's tremendous football, that is. What a challenge from Canate. That pass inside Koundé is wonderful. Brilliant ball, that is. And Ati Atala just takes a bit of a time to have a look, tries to keep his composure. That was the initial delivery that Varane did well to deal with. On Bayou Nahi to Bouffal. Cut out by Suomeni. Griezmann. Great composure again, I think Mbappe's offside here. He's allowed to go on. Griezmann will unleash the deflection off El Yameek, but now the flag goes up for Mbappe. So Griezmann poised again. You can see it's Raphael Varane on the penalty spot in an offside position. He's trying to drag those red shirts back towards him. He'll make a little movement towards them. He knows the red shirts will come back. And if the delivery is right... Varane has made his step back. And Touram was piling in on it. The delivery is a good one. Just got to hit the target with that. And I don't think Bono can do anything about it. Canate stepped out. Amrabat policing, but lost out on this occasion. Now there could be problems. Touram. And Fofana didn't have the angle. Good run, good supporting run. Might have been better off just looking for Mbappe there, looking for the cutback. Here they come again. Fofana not breaking his neck to get back. And it did leave the midfield a little empty for Unahi to raid into. Hakimi. Ziyech. Hakimi. Unahi. Oh, and that's an important interception by Varane. Katiatala. Hamdala. Advantage played here. A promise not delivered upon. Yeah, again. From that sort of angle, just give somebody in the box a chance. That's all you can try and do. And for Ousmane Dembele, as this semi-final still hangs in the balance. It's all over. He will be replaced by Randall Kolamouane of Eintracht Frankfurt these days. Chioumeni. Fofana. Mbappe. Touram. Mbappe. Those dancing feet. Oh, it must be! Barney, just on the field, has made the kind of impact a substitute dreams of. Joy and relief. France surely now have their date with destiny. Had to be Mbappe at the heart of it, didn't it? Yeah, he likes it. And I'm not surprised. It's a huge moment in the game, this. The initial little turn here, lovely combination work in the middle of the park. This little turn there that drags Hakimi under the ball, which then gives Marcus Touram a little bit of room back to Mbappe. Now, all of a sudden, he comes alive in the box and it just breaks for Kolamouane, who's got the simplest of goals. But you've got to be aware. You've got to be alive. You've got to expect it, as ever. The forward did and the defenders didn't. Look at his balance there amongst a crowd of red shirts. And then it just drops. Bono's despairing lunge isn't going to stop that. 44 seconds after Kolamouane came on the field. He scores a goal that will live long in the memory for every French football follower. His first at international level. Aboukhal. Aravat's searching delivery. Bourneverand didn't get it right. Hakimi was coming in. This is Unahi, great poise, but French body in the way. I think Unahi is finished. He said that a moment ago, but. Yeah. Well, on they go with it, and Amrabat will feed it in there. Here is Unahi. Didn't get any real weight behind that at all, and he's limping badly. What a horrible way for his tournament to end, given that he's been an absolute shining light. He certainly has. Well, here's the substitute, Ezzalzouli. It's an amazing run here from Ezzalzouli. And Unahi. Oh, and Hamdallah can't turn it in. What a run from Ezzalzouli. Well, still, they carry the fight. Still, they do not feel that they are beaten. It's such a brilliant run from the substitute. But they just didn't get everyone in the box. I don't think anyone expected him to be able to go past all the blue shirts. But he did. Ziyech taking the direct approach. Abouclac trying the acrobatics, putting the flag up against him. Well, this was the run down the outside. Gets right to the byline. It just doesn't seem to be enough options there. Unahi does great. And then it drops for Hamdallah, who just sticks a knee out. Comes at him pretty quick, in all fairness. Look at Jules Koundé. They may have preserved the French clean sheet. Moroccan supporters give their team a rousing send-off. The French flags are flying. Well, on they march. They still have their hands on the trophy. Only Messi, magical Messi, and Argentina can wrestle it from them now. The dream fades for Morocco. Rando Colomawane with a dream impact off the bench. His first touch in a World Cup semi-final is the clinching goal. For Walid Regaghi and Morocco, great, great pride. But Morocco have written, really, the story of the tournament. But Didier Deschamps and Co may yet take away the trophy again. They're in the final again. It finishes France 2, Morocco 0.