A mouthwatering clash is on the cards as defending champions France take on a resilient Morocco in the second semi-final of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022 at the Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar on Wednesday, 14th November.
Les Bleus have dominated throughout this campaign. They finished at the top of Group D in the group stage and then went on to beat Poland 3-1 in the round of 16. France did face a stern challenge from England in the quarterfinals but they held their nerves and emerged victorious 2-1 to book their berth in the semi-finals. Their quality has been visible at both ends of the field and now they just need to execute their plans well once again to make it to the grand finale.
The way France have performed, it hasn’t been surprising. They were one of the pre-tournament favourites to lift the trophy but Morocco have turned out to be the real surprise package in this campaign. Morocco finished at the top of Group F and then went on to beat giants like Spain and Portugal in the round of 16 and quarterfinals respectively to become the first African to qualify for the semi-finals of a World Cup. The entire team has developed a really good fan following and now they are just one hurdle away from the final.
Defense has been Morocco’s real strength in this campaign and they need to be at the top of their game once again to stop a rampaging French offense from destroying them. The way the two teams stack up ahead of this contest, we see it heading towards a penalty shootout. Morocco have been calm under pressure but it’s better to back a team like France to win under such circumstances.
