Rabiot on facing Morocco in semi-finals: We are not underestimating anyone
Reacting to France’s win over England to send them into the World Cup last four, midfielder Adrien Rabiot was keen to point out that he and his teammates were able to pull through a difficult match thanks to their ability to withstand pressure together.
His words transcribed in today’s L’Équipe, the Juventus man explained that it was the squad’s “capacity for resilience” in the face of a solid England performance that allowed them to go through. On the subject of the Three Lions’ second penalty – given after a push by Théo Hernandez – Rabiot insisted that the referee had been too harsh with the French, and that he had “seen hundreds” of the same types of situations not given. “We’re happy in the end, it was justice.”
On the much-anticipated duel between Kyle Walker and Kylian Mbappé on the flank, Rabiot explained that “we didn’t really see them”. Looking ahead to the semi-final against Morocco, the former Paris Saint-Germain insisted that “we’re not underestimating anyone”, and that Walid Regragui’s men “deserved to be there” thanks to their ability to withstand pressure. “The match will be watched a lot in France, because there’s a big Moroccan community. We’re impatient for this match but we’ll have to recover first because we’re tired.”
