Fullback from France The defending world champions led Morocco 1-0 at the break in their World Cup semifinal on Wednesday thanks to a goal from Theo Hernandez in the fifth minute.
Hernandez took advantage of a deflection and scored a stunning volley beyond goalkeeper Yassine Bounou at the far post to give the French the lead as they looked to become the first team to win the tournament again since Brazil 60 years ago.
Olivier Giroud, the greatest scorer in France’s history, came within inches of scoring again in the 17th minute when his thunderous shot hit the post.
The loss of center defender Nayef Aguerd during warm-up and captain Romain Saiss in the 21st minute dealt a double blow to Morocco’s hopes of being the first team from outside of Europe and South America to advance to the final.
But just before halftime, Hugo Lloris palmed away a bicycle kick from Jawad El Yamiq that would have given them an equalizer.
In the Sunday championship game, the winners will take on Argentina.
A statement of intent from the champions!
Theo Hernandez scores inside the first five minutes to hand France the lead đŻ
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking âAccept Allâ, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
