Key events
Morocco make two changes to their starting line-up from the win over Canada.
Anass Salah-Eddine replaces Redouane Halhal in defence, while Chemsdine Talbi fills in for stricken striker Ismael Saibari.
France make one change to their starting XI following the battle with Paraguay. Désiré Doué replaces his PSG team-mate Bradley Barcola on the left flank.
The teams
France: Maignan, Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne, Kone, Rabiot, Dembele, Olise, Doue, Mbappe.
Subs: Samba, Gusto, Tchouameni, Thuram, Kante, Konate, Zaire Emery, Theo Hernandez, Lucas Hernandez, Mateta, Risser, Cherki, Akliouche, Lacroix, Barcola.
Morocco: Bounou, Hakimi, Diop, Mazraoui, Saleh-Eddine, Bouaddi, El Aynaoui, Diaz, Ounahi, Talbi, El Khannous.
Subs: Mohamedi, Tagnaouti, Amrabat, Saadane, Saibari, El Ouahdi, El Mourabet, Yassine, Sbai, Belammari, El Kaabi, Amaimouni-Echghouyab, Halhal, Riad, Rahimi.
Referee: Facundo Tello Figueroa (Argentina).
Morocco have played France on six previous occasions, and have never beaten them. Two draws, four defeats, six goals scored, 14 conceded. But one of those draws was against the France of Zinedine Zidane, Laurent Blanc, Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry et al, a couple of months before les Bleus prevailed in the 1998 World Cup final … and after sharing four goals, Morocco won a penalty shoot-out. Slim pickings, then, but at least it’s not nothing at all. And there’s always a first time.
Morocco were the stand-out team of Group C. They didn’t win it, because they failed to put Brazil away, but it only took 70 seconds to see off Scotland and while they risked embarrassment against Haiti, they eventually overpowered the underdogs 4-2.
In the knockouts, they were taken to the brink by the Netherlands, then took 45 minutes to warm up against Canada before swatting the co-hosts aside and out of their own tournament. And now we are here.
France swanned their way through Group I. They elegantly survived the Senegal test. Took a two-hour storm break in their stride to see off Iraq. Then eased past Norway B thanks to Ousmane Dembélé’s quick-fire first-half hat-trick.
Then in the knockouts, things went from the sublime to the ridiculous. And here we are.
… and so to the business end of this World Cup. But let’s start this story from the very beginning.
Preamble
It’s a rerun of the 2022 semi-final. France were expected to make easy work of Morocco four years ago in Qatar, but the Atlas Lions gave them a good run for their money …
… and since then, Morocco have since become champions of Africa, caveats aside, and the sixth best team in the rankings. They’re the real deal, and while France are once again tipped to emerge victorious this evening, it’s no longer with the assumptions of old. France have ambitions to win this title, but so do Morocco, who in addition are also after revenge. This, then, is set up deliciously. Kick off is at 4pm in Boston (9pm BST/6am AEST). It’s on!
