France faces surprise package Morocco in an interesting round of 16 clash at Hindmarsh Stadium.
FRA-W vs MOR-W Match Details
Date: Tuesday, 8 August 2023
Time: 16:30 (IST) / 21:00 (ACT)
Venue: Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide
FRA-W vs MOR-W Match Preview
France did not fidget when Martha Cox unleashed a world-class free-kick to score the first goal for Panama in their debut Women’s World Cup. The CONCACAF nation went on to add two more to their tally but not before Kadidiatou Diani completed a hat-trick. Maelle Lakrar, Lea Le Garrec and Vicki Becho also add to the scoring for the squad that was a much changed one in the final group match. The game ended 6-3 for the Les Bleues who topped their group ahead of Brazil who were knocked with a draw against the surprise runners-up Jamaica. France beat the South American giants in their match after a dismal 0-0 draw with the Caribbean nation in the opening match.
Having reached the knockouts for the fourth consecutive time, Herve Renard’s team will be confident of matching their 2019 return by moving to the quarterfinals. They will face a solid Morocco team scripting history by qualifying to the last-16 in their debut Women’s World Cup. France will face a dogged side again but the team finding their scoring feet in the last two matches will relax some nerves. Losing just once in their last 11 internationals, the side will hope to avoid being a story of upsets this edition has produced.
Paired with Germany, South Korea and Colombia, the predictable outcome for newcomers Morocco was to prevent finishing bottom of the group. Yet, they shocked the world by advancing to the knockouts of the Women’s World Cup. Even after suffering a 6-0 humiliation in the hands of Germany in their debut game of the finals. Edging out South Korea with a historical 1-0 in the second match and doing the same against group winners Colombia, the African side wrote an inspiring fairytale. Anissa Lahmari's goal on the stroke of half-time after Ghizlane Chebbak’s penalty was saved by Colombia’s keeper Catalina Perez got them something to hold on to. With Germany’s surprise exit from the group stages for the first time after a 1-1 draw against South Korea in the simultaneous match, Morocco’s path was sealed. The African nation will face a gigantic tie against free-flowing France in the last-16 and will try to restrict them from another walloping like in the opener. Reynald Pedros and his girls will certainly want to have a lead to defend which has been their strategy to pull off another shock here.
Recent Form (Women’s World Cup)
FRA-W: WDW
MOR-W: WWL
FRA-W vs MOR-W Predicted Lineups
FRA-W: Peyraud-Magnin; Perisset, Lakrar, Renard, Karchaoui; Toletti, Geyoro, Mateo; Diani, Bacha, Le Sommer
MOR-W: Errmichi; El Haj, El Chad, Ben Zina, Redouani; Ouzraoui, Nakkach, Chebbak, Tagnaout; Jraidi, Lahmari
FRA-W vs MOR-W Dream11 Team Prediction
GK: Rmichi (Cr - 8, Pts - 79)
DEF: Lakrar (Cr - 9, Pts - 174), El-Haj (Cr - 9, Pts - 126), Renard (Cr - 8.5, Pts - 118)
MID: Diki (Cr - 8.5, Pts - 69), Chebbak (Cr - 8, Pts - 53), Mateo (Cr - 8, Pts - 63), Bacha (Cr - 8, Pts - 82)
FW: Diani (Cr - 9, Pts - 207), Le Sommer (Cr - 8.5, Pts - 92), Lahmari (Cr - 8, Pts - 80)
Vice-captain: Selma Bacha
Captain: Kadidiatou Diani
Also check out France Women - World Cup Records and Stats
