France look unbeatable but have never faced a team that can press them or control the ball — that might all change in the semi-finals

France eliminated Morocco on Thursday and moved through to the semi-finals with a comfortable 2-0 win. Reaching their third consecutive semi at a World Cup, Deschamps' side appear to have hit the peak of their generation. They look unbeatable at this moment.

The French have the best attack, lead the tournament in chances created and efforts hitting the woodwork, and have only conceded twice in six matches, keeping clean sheets in four of them. On paper, it is an extraordinarily balanced side where deficiencies are difficult to identify.

That perception is largely accurate: France have very few flaws. But there is one detail their opponents may want to study more closely — a substitution that has perhaps gone under the radar in their left-back position.

Attacking France down their left should be a priority at the World Cup

Lucas Digne has been France's left-back starter, but he began the tournament on the bench. Theo Hernandez was the first choice and lost his place, largely due to underperformance. He was the weakest link in the side both with and without the ball.

The opening match against Senegal was the game in which France struggled most, and yet they still won 3-1. They could, however, have fallen behind in the first half after two clear chances were missed by Nicolas Jackson and Ismaila Sarr on the counter. Senegal's goal came only in stoppage time, when the result had already been settled, but it came precisely down the left side of France's defence.

Digne is a more reliable defender than Hernandez, but he does not possess the same physical qualities as Jules Kounde on the opposite flank. He is shorter and less dominant physically, and while he works hard to press and track back in transition, he can be vulnerable in isolated one-on-one situations.

The clearest way to hurt France, therefore, may be precisely to target the left side with individual duels down the right flank. Especially because that zone also begins defensively with Kylian Mbappe — less suited to that function, despite some good pressing moments — and Desire Doue, who is also less solid without the ball.

Adrien Rabiot has played his part in covering that sector, and William Saliba has balanced his area responsibilities with attention to the half-spaces for players looking to exploit the channels. But in isolation, Digne may be the target to attack in the French defensive structure. The problem is that none of their opponents so far have found a way to do so.

After Senegal, who played well in possession in the first half, no other France opponent had the quality to take that approach. The side that came closest to causing Deschamps' team real problems was Sweden in the last 32 — they had the most incisive wide forward in one-on-one duels that France have faced: Anthony Elanga.

The pacey Swedish winger had a mixed evening and did not achieve consistent success, largely because his side lacked the structural ability to create isolated situations for him, and ultimately ended with only 39% of the ball. Even so, he recorded 19 ball-carries — the vast majority down the right attacking channel, pushing towards the box or the byline — and progressed a total of 89 metres with the ball at his feet.

After that, France faced a Paraguay side who surrendered possession entirely and a Morocco who operated that channel differently — Brahim Diaz drifting inside from the right as a creator, to allow Achraf Hakimi to overlap. Beyond the more measured build-up, Hakimi is not a prolific dribbler in direct confrontations either, and the approach also left Morocco's own defence exposed on Mbappe's side of the pitch.

In fairness, it is accurate to say that Digne and France's left side have not been genuinely tested at this World Cup. That could change in a potential semi-final against Spain, where a Lamine Yamal duel could decide the tie for the Spanish.

France have spent very little time in defensive shape

A possible clash with Spain could be fascinating for another reason. Beyond an excellent wide forward in one-on-one situations to test the left side, France could face for the first time an opponent that will attempt to control the game through possession.

France's 4-4-2 defensive block has not been significantly tested at this tournament precisely because they have not yet faced a side that either could or even tried to suffocate them near their own goal. There is, of course, credit due to France for their high press that prevents opponents from building cleanly — across the first five games, they registered eight high-press recoveries that led to shots and scored two goals from those situations.

But the concentration of offensive talent could come at a cost in organised defensive phases. Against a dominant Spain side that places more players in midfield, France could find themselves outnumbered and forced to drop deeper. Another vulnerability that has appeared, albeit a minor one, is the space between defensive lines.

As a side built on physical intensity and attackers who love to press and accelerate in open space, there are moments where France choose to defend in a medium or low block, and leave gaps between the lines that more capable opponents could exploit dangerously. Spain, for example, would take full advantage.

For comparison, no knockout-stage opponent has managed a single expected goal above one against France, according to Opta data:

Sweden: 0.7 xG
Paraguay: 0.2 xG
Morocco: 0.1 xG

Against Belgium — who also contest the semi-final spot with Spain — there is a further consideration. The Red Devils press with exceptional intensity and have shown results from it: they lead the tournament for total pressures (41), pressures leading to shots (15) and goals from press recoveries (four).

Nobody has pressed France with that level of intensity yet, precisely because they have not faced sides that demand the ball so aggressively. It could be another way of hurting a team that, until now, has barely been troubled by anyone.