Before the match against Morocco, former England striker Ian Wright described Deschamps’ side as “one of the most outstanding World Cup favorites I have ever seen”.
After a dominant win in Boston, in which France had 22 attempts compared to only five for Morocco, which had its only shot on target in the 83rd minute, Wright remained impressed.
“It’s hard to see weakness,” Wright said. He added, “If Spain qualifies, they may have the quality to pass through them and perhaps the speed of Lamine Yamal to try to punish them, but France looks strong. Then you have individual brilliance.”
In addition to Mbappe and Dembélé, France also have plenty of attacking options in their squad, including Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise, Paris Saint-Germain duo Bradley Barkola and Desire Du, Manchester City’s Rayyan Cherki, and Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta.
France, on the other hand, have conceded just two goals in six matches – late in a 3-1 win over Senegal and once in a 4-1 win over Norway, despite the team being rested for most of their first 11 matches having already qualified for the knockout stages.
Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane said: “France has more preparations to do.” “France were much better in every aspect of the game, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be beaten.
“France are in a great place. You have attacking players who score goals and individual players who beat people. Any chance of beating France you have to score the first goal. Even if they score the first goal, teams have to attack them, and they will pick you for fun.”
