Adrien Rabiot has offered a blunt assessment of Morocco’s attacking performance after France secured a 2-0 victory and a place in the World Cup semi-finals.

Didier Deschamps’ side reached the final four for a third consecutive tournament after goals from Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé settled the quarter-final in Foxborough.

Morocco enjoyed periods of possession but struggled to turn them into clear chances. Rabiot said France felt comfortable allowing their opponents to have the ball because they rarely threatened the French defence.

Rabiot questions Morocco’s attacking threat

According to L’Équipe’s report on Rabiot’s post-match interview, the midfielder told beIN Sports that Morocco had offered less attacking danger than France expected.

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“We felt that, during the moments when we did not have the ball and allowed them to have it, they were not very dangerous,” Rabiot said.

“We had little to fear from this team. That was the feeling we had on the pitch. It was surprising.”

However, Rabiot was careful not to dismiss Morocco completely. He acknowledged that their individual quality meant France could not afford to lose concentration.

“They remain a team that can make the difference at any moment because they have extraordinary individuals,” he said. “That is why you always have to remain vigilant.”

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France limited Morocco to few meaningful opportunities and largely controlled the match after Mbappé opened the scoring in the second half.

France recover from missed penalty

France had an opportunity to take the lead earlier when Mbappé was awarded a penalty, but Yassine Bounou saved the captain’s effort.

Rabiot admitted that the miss represented a poor start for France, but praised the team’s response.

“We were very serious,” he said. “With the ball, we used it well, even though we started badly with the penalty saved by Bounou.”

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“But we stayed in the game. That is also where you see the strength of this team because we show determination and resilience.”

Mbappé eventually broke the deadlock in the 60th minute before Dembélé doubled the advantage six minutes later.

Third consecutive semi-final not taken for granted

France have now reached the semi-finals at each of the last three World Cups, following their title in 2018 and their defeat to Argentina in the 2022 final.

Rabiot rejected any suggestion that reaching the final four had become routine for the squad.

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“Perhaps you have started to see it as normal,” he said. “We do not see it that way at all in the dressing room. I can tell you that we were very happy.”

“There is a lot of joy because we have given everything for several weeks. The group is exceptional. Everyone is united, and it is magnificent.”

The midfielder’s comments reflected a wider theme within the French camp, with several players pointing to the squad’s discipline and togetherness as decisive factors in their run through the tournament.

France open to possible Spain revenge

At the time of Rabiot’s interview, France were waiting to discover whether Spain or Belgium would provide the opposition in the semi-finals.

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A meeting with Spain would give Les Bleus an opportunity to avenge their defeat in the Euro 2024 semi-final.

Asked whether France wanted that chance, Rabiot replied: “Yes, of course we would like revenge.”

However, he insisted that France would approach either opponent with the same preparation and respect.

“Regardless of who it is, we will prepare as we have done from the beginning,” he said. “We are really determined. We work well, we recover well and we are serious.”

“We do not take anyone lightly, and I think that is also what makes the difference. We respect every team, and we will gladly take whoever reaches the semi-finals.”

France’s defensive control and clinical second-half display against Morocco provided further evidence of their tournament experience. Rabiot’s assessment may have sounded dismissive, but his wider message was one of focus: France believe their seriousness and unity are carrying them closer to another World Cup final.