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Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann are used to facing the Championship of Spain. While Argentina has always defended the colors of Barcelona, the French have crossed the Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid. Now, this Saturday, the duel has crossed the Spanish border and will be seen closely on the whole planet. The two strikers will meet during the match between Argentina and France, at Kazan Arena, for the second round of the World Cup, at 11am (Brasília).
Detail: It was very little that they did not become teammates. Griezmann had proposed Barcelona, but decided to renew his contract with Atletico Madrid, surprising the Spanish press.
In the Cup, they arrive at similar times in search of redemption in the World Cup. On the one hand, Messi played an important role in qualifying Argentina by scoring the first goal of the Hermanos' 2-1 win over Nigeria, while Griezmann played an important role in the early triumph (against # 39; Australia). Despite this, neither has been brilliant so far at the World Cup.
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This Saturday, the two stars of world football will be in the honor. The curious thing is that the two scorers have never faced each other in team duels. But in the championship of Spain, the encounter is frequent. There have already been 24 games. And Messi has won a lot more: 15 times, against only four of the French. Also scored more goals: 17 x 6.
But the Frenchman has a dice in his favor. Decided one of the main duels of the 24 against Messi: the quarterfinals of the Champions League of the 2015-2016 season. In the match in Madrid, he scored both goals of the victory of Atletico Madrid on Barcelona. In this competition, the colchoneros finished in second position losing the final for the arquirrival Real Madrid.
Now it's time for Kazan to see the meeting …
Griezmann seeks redemption in the Octaves
The French striker came to the Cup World with an open destiny. Two days after the start of the World Cup, Griezmann revealed his future in a documentary screened by a television channel in Europe. He announced the permanence to Atlético de Madrid, preting a proposal of Barcelona. Nothing that he said has changed his focus on the tournament.
Despite the player's statements, comrades admitted that the attacker was not in his best days. For Olivier Giroud, the striker will still show great football at the World Cup.
– He had a long exhausting season. He played a lot of games. It's true that he feels maybe a little less physically. But he will recover and stay in shape for the competition. When we are a little less pedestrian, it is more difficult to put ourselves at ease on the field, "said Giroud.
Griezmann is competing for his second World Cup. Until now, he has played eight games in the World Cup and has scored only one goal. In the current edition of the tournament, French really left something to be desired. The percentage of some pbades, for example, is much lower than normal: only 68%. And he needed nine finals to make his mark on the debut against Australia (on penalties).
A Messi in evolution and under pressure
A star in evolution, but still far from shining all that is capable in Russia. And, more than ever, Argentina will need all the genius of Messi in front of France. If by leaps and bounds it was possible to advance in a group with competitors who are not first in world football, in the eighth of the end the opponent counts, no doubt, with more individual talents. Which makes the decisional power of the shirt 10 even more vital.
For the first time, Jorge Sampaoli will repeat a training since he joined the national team a year ago. Precisely the one who managed to make Messi more participative against Nigeria. After losing a penalty and missed Iceland and being a zero player in the defeat of Croatia, he was able to play in the decisive match, be free in the attack, in the first half, or later put in place.
Sampaoli receives Messi's compliment during the match against Nigeria (Photo: Toru Hanai / Reuters)
The Argentine captain's growth goes a long way towards the entrance of Ever Banega. A friend since the time of Rosario, the Sevilla pilot improved the ball and approached Messi in the middle of the field, leaving him freer and less overwhelmed. It was his move to the sole purpose of Messi up here in Russia.
In total, there are six in four World Cups played by those who live under the pressure of last chance to win the trophy that is missing in the remaining four games. It's a consensus in Argentina that a failure would hardly keep him in the national team before Qatar. Which only increases the degree of tension for a duel that worries Messi:
– Obviously we have seen the matches of France. They have a complete selection, with high level individual players, fast attacking, who make the difference. I have a companion that I know well (Umtiti). There are players in front, in the middle. It's going to be a very complicated game.
On the pitch in every 290 minutes played by Argentina up to now in Russia, Messi arrives at the octaves aware that he needs to improve the performance of the first phase . There were 14 finals, only five in goal and one in the net. The player committed four fouls, suffered ten and touched 134 of the 160 badists that he attempted in 23.9 km.
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