Darius1998 Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Preview Our second semi-final sees reigning champions France take on Africa's first ever semi-finalists in Morocco. France come into this having beaten Poland and England in the previous knockout rounds while Morocco come into this having knocked out two Iberian sides in a row in the form of Spain and Portugal. Nayef Aguerd and Noussair Mazraoui are fit again for Morocco while Walid Cheddira is suspended. France have two doubts in the form of Dayot Upamecano and Adrien Rabiot. Moroccan fans are expected to make up over 80% of tonight's crowd at the Al Bayt Stadium. Semi-final history France have made this stage on six previous occasions (1958, 1982, 1986, 1998, 2006 and 2018). Morocco, like any other African nation have never made it this far previously. Past meetings They have played each other on 10 occasions, with France winning 7 times while Morocco won their very first meeting. Their most recent meeting was a 2-2 draw in Paris in 2007. Lineups Upamecano and Rabiot do miss out with Konate and Fofana coming in for France. As expected, Aguerd and Mazraoui are back for Morocco while Saiss is fit to start again. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kopsy101 Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Glad konate is starting, Upanecano is good and has a reputation however Saliba and Konate are more dominant Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFuller Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 I'd like Morocco to pull off one more shock. An African team getting to a World Cup Final - and especially a Muslim-majority nation getting to the Final in another Muslim host country - would be a HUGE milestone. But if France get through, we're still getting a great story in the Final. Messi vs Mbappé - the best player of his generation, against probably the greatest player of any generation. Belgium, Spain and Portugal have all fallen to the Atlas Lions. I don't think the defending champions will make the same mistakes. Les Bleus to win 2-0. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
silentwars Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Can only see one winner tonight Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob1981 Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Got to be France here surely. Spent four days convincing myself that they are the best team in the world and England running them so close is progress that we can be proud of. If Morocco waltz in and beat them 3-0 I don't think I would recover. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunmaN1905 Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Just mad how stacked France is. Except for Griezmann and Mbappe, that's their second team more or less. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RTHerringbone Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 I'd seen rumours yesterday about Rabiot and Upamecano being ill. I think their replacements are obviously still top quality but maybe it just bridges the overall quality gap a bit. Looking forward to this one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
VamPook Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Konate is clearly miles better than Upamecano 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
VamPook Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Hope Morocco pulls off some kind of upset. But head is definitely on France Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnterUsernameHere Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 19 minutes ago, RTHerringbone said: I'd seen rumours yesterday about Rabiot and Upamecano being ill. I think their replacements are obviously still top quality but maybe it just bridges the overall quality gap a bit. Looking forward to this one. Konaté is better when fit. Upamecano has looked a bomb scare. Not sure about Rabiot vs Fofana, Rabiot has had a good tournament but haven't watched Fofana outside of this tournament. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
samuelawachie Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 https://y99.in/r/845216 Some discussion of the game in live chat.. Hmm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
samuelawachie Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 15 minutes ago, EnterUsernameHere said: Konaté is better when fit. Upamecano has looked a bomb scare. Not sure about Rabiot vs Fofana, Rabiot has had a good tournament but haven't watched Fofana outside of this tournament. My eyes were just drawn to the bomb scare stuff... I was like, OMG! Somehow, I was always just waiting for some news like that coming from this tournament. Thank God it was just a metaphor Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
enigmatic Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 32 minutes ago, VamPook said: Konate is clearly miles better than Upamecano I can definitely imagine Upamecano was dropped rather than rotated. Didn't have his best game against England Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_jagster Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 (edited) I support Bayern so Upamecano is clearly better The last time I was this sure that a team would finally see their luck run out Rob Huth scored twice at the Etihad so we can expect the Moroccan Maldini to bag a brace. With Mbappe and Giroud you can neither afford to defend high or deep so this is probably Morocco's biggest test by some way, I just can't see them doing it. Edit: I jest, Upamecano was clearly terrible in the first half against Kane. Edited December 14, 2022 by The_jagster Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PMLF Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 France to score an early goal and win easily 3-0 or so. But I hope Morocco win. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob1981 Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Morocco 1-0 up after the anthems Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
av3ry Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Romain Saiss is an actual machine. Pulled his hamstring at the end of the Portugal game after tweaking it against Spain. Starts again Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFuller Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Another Moroccan disappearing act? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darius1998 Posted December 14, 2022 Author Share Posted December 14, 2022 As with every final since 1982, a Bayern and an Inter player are guaranteed to be part of the teams playing in the final. Either Mazraoui or Upamecano/Lucas (even if injured) are guaranteed to get there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthCoastRed Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 55 minutes ago, Rob1981 said: Got to be France here surely. Spent four days convincing myself that they are the best team in the world and England running them so close is progress that we can be proud of. If Morocco waltz in and beat them 3-0 I don't think I would recover. Had to be Belgium, then Spain, then Portugal. I think it’s a game too far tonight, but I wouldn’t put it past them, if only to destroy you Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darius1998 Posted December 14, 2022 Author Share Posted December 14, 2022 There's the early breakthrough. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CFuller Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Morocco's dream lasted 5 minutes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunmaN1905 Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 As expected. Moroccans look like its 80th minute already, Saiss is obviously injured. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astafjevs Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Theo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orzelek Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Hernández Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Lucky. Ball kept falling in front of french feet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthCoastRed Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 ****, worst possible situation for a good game 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpain16 Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Bugger Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
georginho_juventusygr Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Great pass from Varane. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
silentwars Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 10 minutes ago, PMLF said: France to score an early goal you called it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Moores Mum Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Another uncompetitive Semi Final then :/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallen Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Still plenty in this for Morocco despite the nightmare start. France are suspect at the back and protecting the back four. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Constantine Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Lloris' looking strangely competent these last two games... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
enigmatic Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 You get the feeling France got the silly mistakes out their system against England too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnterUsernameHere Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 5 minutes ago, SouthCoastRed said: ****, worst possible situation for a good game Both teams would be sitting on a one goal lead anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darius1998 Posted December 14, 2022 Author Share Posted December 14, 2022 Ounahi looks a pretty good prospect. Was playing in the French 3rd tier a couple of years ago but he's 22 and has been excellent so far. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Confused Clarity Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Will France sit on their 1-0 like they tried to do vs England? Or will they push on? Morocco have had some decent possession since they conceded. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigV Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Is danny murphy dumb? "always good to let the game play on" when morocco aren't even getting freekicks from fouls... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallen Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Just now, Darius1998 said: Ounahi looks a pretty good prospect. Was playing in the French 3rd tier a couple of years ago but he's 22 and has been excellent so far. Was about to ask which club is going to take a punt on him. Seems like a West Ham signing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
enigmatic Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 1 minute ago, EnterUsernameHere said: Both teams would be sitting on a one goal lead anyway. The underdogs sitting on the lead and France being forced to use their deep reserves of talent to attack would be the more interesting course of the match than the other way round though... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnterUsernameHere Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Just now, enigmatic said: The underdogs sitting on the lead and France being forced to use their deep reserves of talent to attack would be the more interesting course of the match than the other way round though... Probably, but don't think the early goal changes much. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 At least Morrocco don't look rattled Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darius1998 Posted December 14, 2022 Author Share Posted December 14, 2022 2 minutes ago, Smallen said: Was about to ask which club is going to take a punt on him. Seems like a West Ham signing. Moyes will keep playing Soucek over him anyway. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnterUsernameHere Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Giroud getting through like that is criminal defending. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orzelek Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 2 minutes ago, Smallen said: Was about to ask which club is going to take a punt on him. Seems like a West Ham signing. People on this forum thinks that every good but less known player will end up at West Ham after this tournament Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
XuluBak Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 (edited) 1 minute ago, DJ said: At least Morrocco don't look rattled Don't they? Lucky this isn't over inside 17 minutes on account of ridiculous defending. Edited December 14, 2022 by XuluBak Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astafjevs Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 16 minutes ago, av3ry said: Romain Saiss is an actual machine. Pulled his hamstring at the end of the Portugal game after tweaking it against Spain. Starts again He's definitely not fit in any way shape or form Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
av3ry Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 Just now, Astafjevs said: He's definitely not fit in any way shape or form Ye, I think the machine has broken. Fair play to him for giving it a go but he needs to rest and recover for the Premiership battle after Christmas Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pukey Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 2 minutes ago, Orzelek said: People on this forum thinks that every good but less known player will end up at West Ham after this tournament Because signing anyone who's had a good tournament feels a very West Ham thing to do Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunmaN1905 Posted December 14, 2022 Share Posted December 14, 2022 15 minutes ago, GunmaN1905 said: Saiss is obviously injured. Pointless to start him. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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