A glimpse of the closing ceremony
Sergio Aguero cheering for the boys
Usain Bolt’s in the home
Foot of God?
Any guesses who Gary Lineker is supporting at the moment?
Argentina and France will battle it out on Sunday on the Lusail Stadium within the FIFA World Cup so as to add another star, to the present two, on its badge.
PREVIEW
Despite the excessive profile performances of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe in Qatar, Argentina and France can create hazard all around the pitch, so stopping the superstars is just one battle in Sunday’s World Cup ultimate warfare. In the early group video games, Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele have been each raiding out large, working virtually as old style wingers, with Olivier Giroud holding a conventional centre-forward function and Antoine Griezmann given licence to roam.
That remains to be in all probability Didier Deschamps’ mannequin of selection, however as he discovered within the knockout levels, higher defences have been in a position to shackle the large males considerably, forcing them to forage inside and deeper for possession.
Argentina have switched between three central defenders and a flat again 4 through the match and coach Lionel Scaloni is predicted to stay with the latter on Sunday.
England have been fast to double-team Mbappe every time he picked up the ball and Argentina, in all probability via Nahuel Molina and Rodrigo De Paul, will attempt to do the identical.
As England and Croatia discovered to their price, nevertheless, placing assets into one space essentially creates house elsewhere and there was no person on the match higher at discovering it and utilizing it than Griezmann.
Drifting large, however deeper than Giroud, he poses questions that central defenders don’t like – exit and meet him or maintain station and watch for him to return?
The drawback with the latter choice is that he typically doesn’t advance, as a substitute pinging in crosses and lengthy passes or bringing an advancing midfielder into play, as he did when establishing Aurelien Tchouameni for his aim in opposition to England.
Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot have each been wonderful in Doha, with the latter anticipated to return after lacking the semi-final via sickness. Hard working and tactically disciplined, they offer these in entrance licence to roam, protected within the information that there’ll normally be a defensive display behind them ought to the opposition achieve possession and break.
France’s defence seemed shaky at occasions in opposition to England however they settled to their job and, as in opposition to Morocco, didn’t surrender too many clear probabilities, typically blissful to sit down deep and let their rivals play the ball round in entrance of them, however hardly ever permitting them to get behind.
The solely targets they’ve conceded within the knockout section have been two penalties.
THE MESSI FACTOR
Of course, they face the last word check on Sunday – preserving Messi at bay.
As a whole bunch of opponents earlier than them can attest, there isn’t any actual approach to plan to maintain him quiet. All groups can do is attempt to restrict the stream of passes to him after which be certain they’re laser-focused when he does explode into life.
Messi baffles opponents by spending passages of play at strolling tempo – even typically when his crew is pouring ahead – and switching flanks at will as crew mates mould themselves seamlessly round him. Then he pounces at excessive pace, zigzagging via defences or dragging a number of opponents round him in shut house earlier than releasing to a crew mate.
France’s Theo Hernandez needed to work additional time in opposition to England’s Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka within the quarter-final and Messi may be anticipated to probe repeatedly down the appropriate on Sunday.
With Mbappe the one participant not being requested to defend, France look susceptible on their left flank, though Rabiot’s return to that aspect of the midfield may partially compensate that weak spot.
As with France, Enzo Fernandez and Alexis Mac Allister have offered Argentina with midfield safety, at occasions very important as Cristian Romero and Nicolas Otamendi have typically seemed edgy behind them, most notably when Saudi Arabia and the Netherlands scored twice in fast succession in opposition to a wobbling defence.
Fullbacks Molina and Marcos Acuna – or presumably Nicolas Tagliafico – would be the males tasked with preserving Mbappe quiet, and sometimes would be the first to entrance up Griezmann as he drifts.
Right again Molina returns after suspension and although he has had a very good match, Scaloni may resolve he isn’t the best man to face Mbappe and may look to Romero in a revisit of the method used in opposition to the Netherlands.
While Messi’s extraordinary management and explosive motion clearly stays the focus for Argentina in assault, the emergence of Julian Alvarez has given them an additional dimension.
Having compelled his manner into the beginning lineup, he confirmed along with his bullocking runs, significantly in opposition to Croatia, that there’s a couple of approach to pores and skin a cat.
In normal, the 2 assaults look stronger than the 2 defences, which, for the impartial not less than, is all the time a very good factor in a World Cup ultimate.
