This week, Les Blues will aim for victory as they try to become the third team—along with Brazil and Italy—to successfully defend a World Cup title.
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At the Al Bayt Stadium on Wednesday, France and Morocco will square off in the semifinals of the ongoing 2022 FIFA World Cup. With a strong defence of their title under their belts, France is aiming for back-to-back World Cup victories. After easily defeating Poland in the tournament’s round of 16, Les Blues faced England in the quarterfinals and prevailed 2-1 thanks to goals from Aurelien Tchouameni and Olivier Giroud. This week, Les Blues will aim for victory as they try to become the third team—along with Brazil and Italy—to successfully defend a World Cup title.
Morocco, on the other hand, has so far been the dark horses of the 2022 World Cup after the African team shocked everyone by reaching the championship round. Their most recent victory in the competition came last weekend when they defeated Portugal 1-0 thanks to a goal from Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri just before halftime. Here are some of the key battles to look out for in the last four encounter.
Kylian Mbappe has been a force to be reckoned with at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. With five goals to his name so far, the Paris Saint Germain forward is on a tear and he would like nothing more than to extend his goal tally. Mbappe currently leads the race for the golden boot with five goals but he is followed closely by his teammate Olivier Giroud and Argentina’s Lionel Messi with four each. However, contending with his PSG teammate Achraf Hakimi will not be easy. Hakimi is someone who understands Mbappe’s game after playing alongside him for quite a while. He will be instrumental for Morocco if they are to stop the rampaging Frenchman in the semi-final.
Despite not having the best of seasons with his club, Antoinne Friezmann really has come alive at the world cup. The attacking midfielder has been a crucial cog in Didier Deschamp’s French team and he will be looking to fulfil that role to perfection yet again. On the other side is Sofyan Amrabat, the strong defensive midfielder from Morocco. Amrabat has been instrumental in Morocco’s defensive performances throughout the tournament and his main job against France will be blocking Griezmann from playing those crucial passes in the final third.
When it comes to the attacking department, Hakim Ziyech is arguably Morocco’s most prolific player. The Chelsea winger is quick, skillful and has the ability to pick out inch perfect passes from the wings. He will be faced with Jules Kounde on the wing who will have a tough time keeping him in check. However, the battle promises to be an exciting one and something that will have a huge impact on the match.
