Mbappe, Dembele & Olise don't let underdogs eat — How ruthless France took Morocco's life

France were favourites going in, and they made sure it ended exactly as predicted; making mincemeat of Morocco in their World Cup quarter-final clash to book their place in the last four.

Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele were both on target as France ran out 2-0 winners, a scoreline that eerily echoes their meeting at the 2022 World Cup and once again, there would be no fairytale revenge story for the Atlas Lions.

The result could easily have been even more one-sided. Mbappe missed a first-half penalty that would have put the game to bed early, while at the other end, Morocco's Yassine Bounou reminded everyone exactly why he's still considered one of the best goalkeepers in the business at 35, pulling off six saves despite conceding twice.

For this Pulse of the Day, football fans have been in full voice about the performance from both sides, though, unsurprisingly, it's Mbappe-led France who are getting the lion's share of the plaudits.

The overriding sentiment among fans has been simple: France simply do not let the underdog have their moment. 'France can never let underdogs eat,' was the mood across social media.

One fan put it more colourfully: 'Dem no go even allow you breathe talk less of eating. Na from start dem go wan take your life.'

Others were quick to point to the sheer terror of facing France's attacking quartet on the counter. 

'It is difficult, man,' one supporter wrote. 'Imagine trying to attack, then suddenly Olise, Doue, Dembele and Mbappe are running at you on the break. That is scary.'

Mbappe's ability to shrug off his missed penalty and still influence the game with a goal from open play did not go unnoticed either, with one fan taking the opportunity to needle a certain Argentine great in the process.

'Mbappe just telling Messi that what he does isn't special,' the fan wrote. 'Missing a pen and then scoring from open play is child's play.'

Even Morocco's approach didn't escape scrutiny, with fans noting a rare sight from the Atlas Lions on the biggest stage. 

'This is the first time I'm seeing Morocco scared to attack,' one supporter observed.

France march on to the semi-finals. Morocco, for all their heroics to reach the quarter-finals, discover once again just how ruthless this French side can be when there's no room left for underdogs to eat.