break in style
France and Morocco have very different ideas about meeting the games. Deschamps’ men showed offensive exuberance with Mbappé and Dembélé on the flanks and Griezmann just yards behind. No other team in the World Cup attacks so hard and gets so many shots per game. The rest of the team focuses on closing spaces well and have often used a series of three central defenders and two wingers throughout the tournament. With Tchouameni as their anchor, they sometimes suffer when the ball is released, but they have seldom been caught off guard by the best-placed defence.
Morocco have no qualms about letting their rivals take control of the ball and aim for maximum efficiency in their attacks. The weight of the game is usually on the right wing, where Hakimi and Ziyech form the team’s star duo. Most centers come from this side towards Tormann En Nesyri. By now the whole team is very well trained to close the spaces inside, keep the lines together and not fall into the traps of the rivals who incite them to press. Even when not in possession, Regragui’s side are able to control games like they did against Spain and Portugal.
It is to be hoped that France will monopolize the ball the most, but that doesn’t bode well for Deschamps’ men, whose true potential comes with the spaces. The Moroccans’ plan will be to take the game to their turf where the opponent cannot easily progress despite touching and touching the ball and taking the chance to hit.