🏆 France claim semi-final spot after Kane miss; Morocco make history | OneFootball

The World Cup quarter-finals conclude on Saturday with two mouth-watering clashes.

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Giroud heads in France winner as Kane skies spot kick

Scorers: Kane (PEN) 53′; Tchouaméni 17′, Giroud 77′

France booked their place in the World cup semi-finals as they beat England 2-1 thanks to Olivier Giroud’s second half header.

England named an unchanged XI from the one that beat Senegal in the last 16 as Kyle Walker was confirmed as the man to try and stop Kylian Mbappé.

It was a tense opening for both sides with the two European heavyweights trying to settle into this encounter.

The first real chance went to Olivier Giroud, who acrobatically got down to meet a cross, but headed right into Jordan Pickford’s arms.

And just moments later Les Bleus were ahead as Aurelien Tchouaméni struck from 25 yards past the outstretched Jordan Pickford.

Gareth Southgate’s side weren’t deterred though and had a chance to equalise soon after but Harry Kane’s low effort was smothered by the onrushing Hugo Lloris.

England thought they had a penalty on 26 minutes as Kane went down after a foul by Dayot Upamecano, but VAR waved away the protests.

The Three Lions seemed to have the grit between their teeth now and had two more decent efforts saved by Lloris before half time.

Into the second half and Jude Bellingham almost equalised immediately but his shot was palmed over the bar by Lloris.

England eventually did get their equaliser on 53 minutes as Saka was brought down inside the area and Kane netted from the spot.

Saka was enjoying one of his best performances in an England shirt and forced another save from Lloris on the hour mark.

The Three Lions were knocking on the door for a winner here and almost got it on 70 minutes but Harry Maguire’s header clipped the outside of the post.

France, who had been so quiet in the second half, then burst into life and scored on 78 minutes as Olivier Giroud headed home.

The lead looked to have lasted all of five minutes but Kane sent his second penalty sky high over the bar.

And that was how it stayed as France booked their place in the semi-finals where they will play Morocco.

Portugal the victims of another Morocco miracle

Scorers: En-Nesyri 42′

Red card: Cheddira 90+3′

Morocco caused another huge World Cup upset when they eliminated Portugal from the competition in Saturday’s first quarter-final.

A header from Youssef En-Nesyri at the end of the first half was enough for Walid Regragui’s to pull off another shock, setting up a semi-final encounter with England or France.

Portugal went close in the fifth minute, when Morocco goalkeeper Bono had to be alert to deny João Félix heading in from a free-kick delivery into the box.

Moments later, En-Nesyri headed over for Morocco from a corner at the other end.

The breakthrough came three minutes before half-time, when Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa came to collect a cross but was beaten to it by En-Nesyri, whose header bounced up off the turf into the roof of the net.

Portugal very nearly equalised just minutes later, when the flight of Bruno Fernandes’s cross-come-shot deceived Bono, but thankfully for the goalkeeper it bounced out off the crossbar.

Morocco almost increased their lead early in the second half, when a dangerous whipped free-kick from Hakim Ziyech had to be batted away by Costa.

Cristiano Ronaldo and João Cancelo came off the bench for Portugal, and they almost equalised in the 58th minute but Gonçalo Ramos could only head just wide when a cross found him on the penalty spot.

Portugal continued pressing for an equaliser and almost got one in the 83rd minute, but Bono made a super save to tip Félix’s swerving strike over the bar.

Morocco were then reduced to 10 men in stoppage time, when substitute Walid Cheddira was shown a second yellow card for a studs up challenge on Félix.

Zakaria Aboukhlal then had a brilliant chance to wrap up the victory when he was sent racing through on goal in the 96th minute, but his tame finish with dealt with comfortably by Costa.

Nevertheless, Portugal were unable to find an equaliser, and Morocco marched into the final four.