On the banks of the Neva, "monstrous" Bleus get their third World Cup final

It's as if they were struck by lightning. Petrified, Kylian Mbappé and his teammates are lying a long time, nose in the lawn of the magnificent stadium Krestovski of St. Petersburg. One would almost invite them to rub their eyes as they seem to have difficulty believing in themselves.

Twelve years after Zinédine Zidane's fatal ball in the 2006 final of the Lost Final (1-1 , 3-5 on penalties) against Italy, the Blues have just offered, Tuesday, July 10, another opportunity to win a second World Cup. And so to walk in the footsteps of their elders, including their coach Didier Deschamps, sacred two decades earlier, in France in 1998.

Their latest victim is Belgium, beaten (1-0) at the end of a tough and tight match, similar to a boxing match. To overcome the obstacle of the half, the French team gave blow for blow until the last round.

From the vertiginous tribunes of "Krestovski", flying saucer placed on the banks of the Neva, it was believed that the very athletic "Red Devils", with an impressive power of striking, would end up dynamiting the defense of the Tricolores. It did not happen. Despite the onslaught of the fantastic offensive triplet composed of Eden Hazard, Romalu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne (seven goals since the opening of the tournament), the French bloc has held up well. "We never dropped anything, never", summarized Didier Deschamps, prime contractor for this "impregnable fortress."

"There were eleven dogs on the ground"

The Blues side was expected to have a feat of the young prodigy (19 years old) Kylian Mbappé, full of nerve and once again author of mind-blowing technical gestures (myriad dribbles, wheels and other heels).

But against all odds, defender Samuel Umtiti has become a hero of the nation. From a pretty header at the very far post, FC Barcelona's roped back scored the only goal of the match (51 ^e minute) before going on to celebrate his feat with striker Antoine Griezmann at length. , decisive smuggler on corner.

"There were some hot times that we had to manage together, in the 'effort. There were eleven dogs on the ground " said Umtiti, logically elected man of the meeting. The one his partners fondly nickname "Big Sam" allows French football to play a third World Cup final in twenty years.

Sunday, July 15, at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, the Blues will try to hang a second star in their jersey against the winner of the other semifinal which opposes, Wednesday, July 11, the Croatia of Luka Modric to the England of Harry Kane. Visibly very moved at the final whistle, to the point of starting a farandole with the members of his staff, Didier Deschamps has long disputed on "the state of mind of his group, which overthrows mountains" ] as well as on the "rise to power" of his players.

A beneficial physical preparation

Without fuel, badly oiled in the first round, the tricolor machine runs at full speed since its victory ( 4-3) disheveled against Argentina, on June 30, in the round of 16. While in control against Uruguay (2-0) in the quarters, Griezmann and others take full advantage of the very intense work sessions (endurance, cladding, bodybuilding) that made them, before the tournament, their physical trainer, Grégory Dupont.

In the image of the indefatigable N'Golo Kanté, able to swallow miles without sweating, or his partner midfield Paul Pogba, judged "monstrous" by his coach, the Blues have sublimated athletically and defensively. Even the center-forward Olivier Giroud has swarmed to close the spaces and press the Red Devils. "This is the match where we have been the most solid and the most solidarity", estimated the central defender Raphael Varane, master of the air and impeccable in his interventions.

Anxious to padlock the meeting , well grouped, the Blues have, above all, won a nice tactical victory. Because this semifinal was also related to a game of chess. For a long time, the Tricolores left the Belgians the control of the ball, relying on the speed of the Mbappé-Griezmann tandem to fight back.

"Belgium has struck everyone so far, it has always had more control of the ball, so it should not leave him spaces. We had to defend low ", explained Deschamps. "We have to adapt to situations", added Kylian Mbappé. Like the very clever striker of Paris-Saint-Germain, the Tricolores are masters in the art of playing the clock: they have gleaned precious minutes and they "broke" the rhythm by rolling on the ground on trivial contacts.

"We are not yet world champions"

If prompt to project forward on counterattacks, the Blues could knock out their opponent late in the game while the French fans , jubilant, already intoned La Marseillaise in stands. "We could have hurt them even more but we lacked technical accuracy", observed the coach, while praising the "pragmatism and realism" demonstrated by

Under a deluge of criticism as his players chained the benefits mixed in the first round, it does not did not hesitate to chamber the reporters: "We are in the World Cup final. Who would have thought it apart, of course?

Twenty years after having raised the trophy in the sky of the Stade de France, as captain of the Blues, here Deschamps ready to perfect his legend and to equal the performance of the Brazilian Mario Zagallo and the German Franz Beckenbauer , the only two legends to have won the World Cup as players and then as breeders

Failing to talk about his strange "fate" inveterate winner, the Bayonne has warned his troops before the Sunday deadline. "We can be champions of the world but we are not yet he hammered, still traumatized by his defeat (0-1 after extra time) against Portugal, in the final of the Euro 2016. We will do everything to be, this time, on the right side.

The Blues will have four days – one more than their future opponent – to recover. But, given their physical condition, the batteries are far from being discharged.