In the semi-finals on Wednesday, the reigning world champions Blues will be opposed to the surprising Morocco, which fell from Portugal a little earlier in the day.

This will be the first opposition in an official match between the two teams.

Olivier Giroud scored with an angry header (78th) the decisive goal, restoring the advantage to the Blues while Harry Kane had brought the English back on penalty (53rd) to height after the opener signed Aurélien Tchouaméni (17th) .

The same Kane still had an equalizer at the very end of the match on a new penalty, but his shot did not catch the frame.

As often in these high-stakes matches, the first ten minutes were hardly exciting, caution being in order.

A first semblance of an opportunity came in the 11th minute, when a cross from the right from Ousmane Dembélé forced Olivier Giroud to place a diving header that Jordan Pickford, the English goalkeeper, could easily capture.

Four minutes later, Adrien Rabiot on the counter-attack alerted Kylian Mbappé on the left side, but the cross at the far post for Dembélé was badly measured and the Barcelona striker could not negotiate the ball.

The first real flash of the game came in the 17th minute: a clear low shot from Aurélien Tchouaméni from outside the area that deceived Pickford.

1-0, 17th!

From then on, the pace of the match went up a notch and the English, stung, in turn brought danger to the French goal, when Harry Kane got rid of Dayot Upamecano but then stumbled on Hugo Lloris, his teammate at Tottenham (22nd).

Lloris who on Saturday broke the selection record (143) for the France team.

New scare for the Blues in the 25th minute, Upamecano seeming to catch Kane at the entrance to the surface, but after viewing the VAR, the Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio ruled that there was no fault (25th).

Clearly, England had taken the lead at this point in the game, an impression confirmed by a new powerful strike from Kane which forced Lloris to a fine save (28th).

In the 39th minute, a combination from a free kick taken by Griezmann, still just as fair and precious in his game, allowed Théo Hernandez to center back for Mbappé whose recovery from the left flew away.

Kane misses a penalty

As soon as the recovery, a powerful shot from Jude Bellingham forced Lloris to a nice save (47th).

Unquestionably, the English again took the game on their own at the start of the second period, and the Blues, under pressure, then committed the fatal fault: Tchouaméni hooked Bukayo Saka in the area and the referee whistled a penalty that Kane transformed into strength (55th, 1-1).

Englishman Harry Kane in front of French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris on December 10, 2022 in Doha © Giuseppe CACACE / AFP

On the throw-in, Rabiot found himself launched alone to attack the English goal but his shot in full swing was well diverted by Pickford (55th).

Gradually, the meeting was unbridled, but the English domination became more and more pressing.

Thus, new fright in the 70th minute for the Blues when Maguire placed a header which grazed the goal of Lloris (70th).

Then Théo Hernandez went there with his rescue in extremis in front of Saka on a cross from Shaw (72nd).

But the Blues did not always let themselves count, and on a delivery of the head of Dembélé, Giroud almost deceived Pickford (77th).

Party postponed for the best French scorer in history, who tore away a minute later to take over a cross from Griezmann and score with an angry header in the fight with Maguire who even slightly diverted the ball (78th).

2-1 for the Blues.

Worthy of the craziest matches of the World Cup, the meeting got carried away even more and in the 82nd minute Théo Hernandez, very badly inspired, roughly jostled Mason Mount in the area: second penalty whistled by Mr. Sampaio after another VAR viewing.

But this time, Harry Kane chose to shoot hard and the ball flew into the clouds!

Big sigh of relief in the French camp about ten minutes from the end of regulation time (84th).

The last dangerous move was for the English, Marcus Rashford slotting a free-kick from just above Lloris's goal, after Coman fouled Maguire.

Olivier Giroud (front) and Adrien Rabiot on December 10, 2022 in Doha © Paul ELLIS / AFP

Eliminated in the semi-finals in 2018, vice-champion of Europe at home in 2020, England fell this time at the gates of the semi-finals, failing once again in their quest for a world title after their only coronation, at home, in 1966.

The Blues continue their adventure, with one goal: to become the first world champions to retain their title since Brazil in 1962.

© 2022 AFP