Match Preview: France vs. Morocco - the rematch got teeth

France and Morocco get the first quarter-final because the bracket has theatre: the 2022 semi-final rematch, Mbappe in Golden Boot form, and Morocco no longer arriving as a lovable surprise.

Kickoff is Thursday at 4:00 p.m. in Foxborough, 4:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. PT for U.S. viewers. The winner moves into a semi-final against Spain or Belgium. 1 2

France have been the tournament's cleanest heavyweight: 3-1 over Senegal, 3-0 over Iraq, 4-1 over Norway, 3-0 over Sweden, then 1-0 past Paraguay on a Mbappe penalty. Morocco's route has had more grit: a draw with Brazil, wins over Scotland and Haiti, a shootout against the Netherlands, then 3-0 over Canada. 1

The obvious hook is Mbappe against Achraf Hakimi's side. The sneakier one is Michael Olise. ESPN lists Olise with five assists in five games, and Didier Deschamps confirmed FIFA refused to erase his Paraguay yellow card. One more booking would cost him a semi-final. 3 4

Morocco cannot sit forever. ESPN has them averaging more expected goals than France, 2.45 to 2.02, and more possession, 64% to 61%. That is not bunker-ball. It is a team brave enough to take the ball, which is exactly how France get space to hurt you.

Verdict: France 2-1, if they survive Morocco's first 25 minutes.

Quote of the Day: "It was a day when things could have gone off the rails, and nobody lost control. That's a real sign of maturity." - France assistant coach Guy Stephan. 1