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France and Belgium decide the most attractive match, at least on paper, of the semi-finals of the World Cup. The appointment in St. Petersburg and here we tell you the keys that will define the panorama.
French flexibility. A lot has changed in the French team that started full of doubts against Australia in Kazan to be measured against Belgium in St. Petersburg. From a Griezmann holder's training without consequence of 9 and a Mbappé without pointing he went forward to a more versatile material with Athletic man out and a zone referee like Giroud, besides a juvenile like the PSG that by the good group he painted his face more than once. The system went from 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1 in the same game combining strength, badociation with Pogba and pure speed with Mbappé and Tolisso. Growth has been noticed in the 5 parties, but especially against Argentina.
The Belgian sacrifice. The serious problem that France will have is that Belgium has solved the defect which, in other quotations, has condemned him: he has learned to work in a team. The big protagonist is the technician Roberto Martinez, who managed to convince the figures of importance to join the hard work of the brand, which is no longer Lukaku chasing for the rival zone, but added to the attack, not only as a finalizer but also as a pivot; Hazard coming back in the middle to complete a line of flyers and De Bruyne first as a cap for his group and then as a fast forward. The fear against Japan and the exhibition against the favorite Brazil leave no doubt.
Youth . Not that this particularly favors everyone, because if the French are the team with the lowest average of those who remain in competition (26.4), the Belgians are only there (27) and their numbers show the same speed and impetus as his rivals. This guarantees young people an intense match with the whistle, with the precautions that are imposed, but the certainty that there is a physical context to tighten the accelerator at any time.
The other thing that makes them similar is that, despite the small age, none can be described as inexperienced: both teams have players in many of the world's top teams, are champions of their leagues and have an international touch more than acceptable.
Test for Deschamps . A team that has 14 goals in 5 games is a headache for any coach. The turn is now for Deschamps. Until now, the most important offensive threat was Argentina, which scored three goals and it is a detail that Belgium will try to use in its favor. The big bet for cutting the offensive circuits of the reds is Kanté, Hazard's teammate at Chelsea. But in the beginning, the work has to start with Mbappé and Tolisso, because it is not only de Bruyne's photos that are to their advantage, but also the precision of locating the huge silhouette of Lukaku, which is the presence on scene by knockout. Uruguay without Cavani can not be considered the last big test. It will be Belgium, in fact, the highest bar.
Belgium, to move on to the next step. This is not the first time that we talk about a team like Belgium with extraordinary individualities that always guarantee it among the favorites. But the end point was still missing. Today one of its best historical generations attends the St. Petersburg rendezvous without a showpiece like Meunier but with all that was previously missed: physical background at the highest point and strength of the past. Soul in the clouds. More than three decades have pbaded until a return to a semi-final World Cup. It can not be missed!
Jenny Gámez
FUTBOLRED writer
Special envoy to Russia
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