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Istra (Russia) – Everything goes very fast in football, and the semi-final of the World Cup-2018 against Belgium also, from Tuesday: the team of France is completely turned towards this meeting with friends who will have nothing friendly.
" We have a very positive first part, we imagined the last square, we are there.That said, now it is not enough ," said AFP president of the Federation (FFF), Christmas Le Graët.
Forced: the closer we get to the sun of the Moscow finale, the more the " second star " is born, twenty years after 1998, and demanded at the end of May by Emmanuel Macron, who will be present in the city of tsars, probably in the locker room. " In my opinion it will come down to say a little cuckoo after the match, it's the usual ," said Le Graët.
The links are strong or even inextricable between the two neighboring countries, linguistic, cultural, political etc. Footballistic also, the Belgian captain Eden Hazard orbited in Lille to the players of the two selections that rub shoulders in club.
– " DD " against " Titi " –
" There is a big rivalry between France and Belgium, it's a kind of derby ", advanced Olivier Giroud. And for the center-forward of Chelsea and the other Blues Premier League – N'Golo Kanté (Chelsea), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Paul Pogba (Manchester United) – " this is a special match : we do not want to be chambered at the return in pre-season "by the Belgians who evolve by their side in England …
Hazard," it is almost a French ", Giroud laughs. Moreover, a photo circulates on the internet where we see the three brothers Hazard (including the two present in the selection, Eden and Thorgan) wearing the blue flocked jersey of N.10 Zinédine Zidane. The third is called … Kylian. With which Benjamin Pavard played in Lille.
But question reunion, there is especially " DD " against " Titi ". This is not comics, a theme favored by the French press in a nod to the famous shot of Belgian pencil, but the duel expected on the benches between the former teammates of the world and Europe Didier Deschamps and Thierry Henry, the coach of the Blues and the badistant of the Cerberus of the Red Devils, the Spaniard Roberto Martinez.
Either the first time a 1998 world champion will be opposed to the French team … " It's weird to have it against us ", and " I would be proud to be able to show Titi that he chose the wrong camp ", said Giroud about the best blue striker in history (51 goals in 123 selections).
– " We Are Not Afraid of Anyone " –
On Sunday, there was a jolt of tactical combat on all levels, between video badysis and in camera training. The Blues were able to exploit the gaps left by Argentina in the round of 16 (4-3) and thwart the force of Uruguay on kicks set in quarter (2-0).
" We work a lot tactically, nothing is left to chance, all chances are put on our side: the coach gives us all the keys, to us to use them on the ground ", advanced Giroud. Leave nothing to Hazard, but nothing to Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne, other spearheads of the best attack of the tournament (14 goals).
Bluff or glitches? On Sunday afternoon, Hazard, Lukaku, midfielder Axel Witsel and defender Vincent Kompany did not participate in the collective training of Belgium during the first 15 minutes open to the press. And the two central backs Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen have been training apart …
The mind will necessarily weigh. The Belgians rallied two goals in Japan in the round of 16 (3-2) and out of Brazil Neymar (2-1). " We eliminated the best player in the world ", Lionel Messi, " he did not touch the ball ", had his side huddled on Saturday Lucas Hernandez. " We played against very big players before, like Messi, (Uruguayan Luis) Suarez, we are not afraid of anyone ," Pavard said Sunday.
Excessive confidence on the horizon? Not sure. The youngest, Kylian Mbappé, who could run foul of the Golden Ball tournament if it was decisive on Tuesday, summed up the situation on Friday night in Nizhny Novgorod: " We did the longest, but it remains the harder ".
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