Morocco’s defence was finally breached at World Cup 2022 just five minutes into their semi-final clash with France.
The Atlas Lions’ remarkable run to the last four has been largely down to their defensive solidity; Naif Aguerd's own goal against Canada was the only time they shipped a goal in their first five games.
But Walid Regragui’s side conceded early against the defending champions when Theo Hernandez produced an acrobatic finish from close range.
FRANCE HIT THE FRONT 🔥Theo Hernandez puts the world champs ahead inside the first five minutes 💪#BBCFootball #BBCWorldCup pic.twitter.com/DS8N7OdYRvDecember 14, 2022
A through ball from Raphael Varane found Antoine Griezmann, who picked out Kylian Mbappe.
The PSG star had two shots blocked, but the second deflected to the back post and bounced up high for Hernandez to leap into the air and smash a volley past Bono.
It was the perfect start for France, who haven’t lost a World Cup game after scoring the opening goal since 1982 – a run of 25 matches.
According to Opta, the goal clocked at 4 minutes 39 seconds was the earliest scored in a World Cup semi-final since 1958, when Vava netted inside two minutes for Brazil against France.
Argentina await the winner in Sunday’s World Cup final after their 3-0 semi-final win over Croatia on Tuesday.
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