France maintained control from the opening whistle, suffocating Morocco with relentless pressure and limiting their opponents to a single shot in the first half. Despite a missed penalty against goalkeeper Yassine Bounou following a lengthy VAR review, the French side dictated the tempo, leaving Morocco to rely on desperate defensive stands to keep the score level at the break.
The deadlock finally shattered in the 65th minute when Mbappé fired a strike from outside the box to beat Bounou. The momentum proved insurmountable for the North Africans. Just six minutes later, Mbappé turned provider, setting up Ousmane Dembélé for a clinical finish into the bottom right corner to double the lead. Mbappé, who appeared to suffer a minor muscle strain, was substituted shortly after to preserve his fitness for the next round.
With this win, Mbappé extends his remarkable tournament tally to eight goals and three assists in six matches. His career World Cup record now stands at 20 goals in 20 appearances. France advances to face either Belgium or Spain in the semifinals, positioning themselves as the heavy favorites to lift the trophy.
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