Messi vs Mbappe. Argentina vs France. World Cup final. Photo by Juan MABROMATA and Gabriel BOUYS / AFP)
Argentina vs France is the World Cup final that many neutrals would have hoped for, and it’s almost upon us. Here is all you need to know.
Messi vs Mbappe. Argentina vs France. World Cup final. Photo by Juan MABROMATA and Gabriel BOUYS / AFP)
Don’t worry, James the Jellyfish isn’t making any predictions this time. Just a comprehensive preview of Argentina vs France in Sunday’s World Cup final.
World Cup 2018 throwback: France 4-3 Argentina
If it weren’t for Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann would be the player of the tournament so far. Argentina opted for a midfield diamond against Croatia and they’re unlikely to abandon that tactic against France in the final.
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The 2018 champions surrendered possession to Morocco for long periods of their semifinal meeting, with Griezmann occasionally dropping into a holding midfield role. How Enzo Fernández and Leandro Paredes manage (or fail) to disrupt Griezmann’s rhythm will have a large bearing on the outcome.
Martínez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Acuña; Paredes; De Paul, Fernández; Mac Allister; Messi, Álvarez
Lloris; Koundé, Varane, Konaté, Hernandez; Rabiot, Tchouaméni; Dembélé, Griezmann, Mbappé; Giroud
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ICYMI: Argentina 3-0 Croatia: Record-breaking Lionel Messi sends Argentina to Sunday’s World Cup final
Meanwhile, you can get more insights, analysis and love for the beautiful game from James Freemantle
Also keep up on daily football trivia via football stats nerd foodball_za.