2018 World Cup Final: Live Updates from France to Croatia

France will not underestimate Croatia

Kylian Mbappé, 19, gave all the good marks of caution on Croatia on Friday.

"Even when you think they're going to lose, or are going to crack, they still have the mentality to come back," he said. "It's a team that plays with a lot of people. Intensity. "

Croatia, surprise finalist

Croatia, a nation of 4.5 million people who gained independence in 1991, would not be the smallest country to win the Cup of the world, title remains Uruguay, probably in the foreseeable future.) But that would probably be the biggest shock of the history of the World Cup.Although Uruguay, winner in 1930 and 1950, could claim to be the best team of the world in case of victory, but it did not even have what we consider as a surprise finalist since Czechoslovakia in 1962.

Composition of departure of France [19659007] No change in the France team, which is not a surprise, Didier Deschamps is more or less stayed with the m even starting eleven throughout the tournament. Expect them to line up in the same 4-2-3-1, with Giroud at the front as the end of the spear and Griezmann, Mbappé and Matuidi buzzing around him .

Goalkeeper: 1 Hugo Lloris (Tottenham) [19659009] Defenders: 21 Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid), 2 Benjamin Pavard (Stuttgart), 5 Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona), 4 Raphael Varane (Real Madrid)

Field: 13 N & # 39; Golo Kante (Chelsea), 14 Blaise Matuidi (Juventus), 6 Paul Pogba (Manchester United)

Forwards: 9 Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), 7 Antoine Griezmann (Madrid Atletico), 10 Kylian Mbappé (Paris St Germain)

Starting Composition of Croatia

familiar faces. Brozovic did a lot of support work against England to allow Rakitic and Modric to work freely. Perisic and Rebic will have to be active again on the wings, to try to spread the French and create holes. Many have tried, however; completing this is a little more ask

Goalkeeper: 23 Danijel Subasic (Monaco)

Defenders: 21 Domagoj Vida (Besiktas), 3 Ivan Strinic (Milan), 6 Dejan Lovren (Liverpool), 2 Sime Vrsaljko (Atletico Madrid)

Midfielder : 10 Luka Modric (Real Madrid), 7 Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona), 11 Marcelo Brozovic (Inter Milan)

Forward: 4 Ivan Perisic (Inter Milan), 18 Ante Rebic (Fiorentina)

Mario Mandzukic (Juventus) ) [19659020] Striker Nikola Kalinic of AC Milan is the only one who will certainly not play today. he is registered as absent on the team sheet of Croatia

Mbappé has his priorities in the order

The Frenchman Kylian Mbappé won the Golden Ball as the best player of the world. "I do not care about that," he says. "I want the World Cup, I want to sleep with that."

Who is Zlatko Dalic?

It is fair to badume that few football fans in the world could have chosen Croatian manager Zlatko Dalic before the tournament. Although he had a long professional career as a defensive midfielder, mainly with Croatian clubs Varteks and Hadjuk Split, his coaching career is nothing remarkable. His three previous posts before taking Croatia were with two Saudi clubs and another in the United Arab Emirates.

But when Croatia fired the coach who led him through most of the qualifications, Ante Cacic, after a series of poor results The team's chances of qualifying for the Russia, Dalic was responsible for leading the team on the line. He guided him with a light touch here, making some compositional changes and acknowledging that he deferred to his players. (Asked why he did not participate in the 90-minute run against England in a grueling semifinal, despite the fact that his players were out consecutively, Dalic admitted, "I wanted to replace, but no one wanted to be subbed. "Another chance for France

This is France's second big consecutive final.He reached the finals of the European home league in 2016, but has lost to Portugal on a goal late in extra time, 1-0, some people point out this defeat – a bitter disappointment after their methodical move from the field to the final – as the danger of conservative instincts of the director Didier Deschamps. still falls today as a favorite, wait until the first fingers are pointed on his way

France against Croatia: a friendly rivalry

Do not be surprised if there are a lot of cuddles and hello friendlies in the tunnel Before the match: Antoine Griezmann and Sime Vrsaljko are teammates of Atlético Madrid, as are Raphael Varane, Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic at Real Madrid. Mario Mandzukic and Blaise Matuidi play together at Juventus (where Paul Pogba was employed before joining Manchester United), and Croatian goalkeeper Daniel Subasic and Frenchman Djibril Sidibe are in Monaco, where until the end of the season. last year they attended the rise of Kylian Mbappé. An extra game for Croatia

With three more victories in the round of 16, Croatia has indeed played one more match than France here.

Hugo Lloris is not going to wander

There is perhaps no better example of the security mentality in France than the game of goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. A skillful wandering player with his feet for his club, Tottenham Hotspur, he is under orders not to roam for France. He was credited with just 11 saves in six games, but many of them were memorable game changers – against Belgian Toby Alderweireld in the semifinals, against Uruguayan Martin Caceres in the quarterfinals – says a lot about the success of the strategy. 19659035] Graphic

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France vs Croatia Top Story Lines

• While Croatia has not played in the final, many of its key players have great experience in the field. Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Mario Mandzukic all won the Champions League final (Modric won four medals with Real Madrid), as well as substitute Mateo Kovacic.

• Stylistically, today, you have to be midfielder. Golo Kanté and Paul Pogba are trying to break what Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic, Ivan Perisic and Ante Rebic are trying to do for Croatia. France has always given anyone the sense that she has shown all her cards, and today she will not be different, especially if the French can take advantage. But a Croatian advance could make things a little more fun. Each team has the talent to write their own story.

• Do not expect a holiday: France has allowed four goals in six games and Croatia five.

• Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappé have three goals, but would need a hat trick to catch Harry Kane of England for the Golden Boot as the tournament's top scorer. Croatians Mario Mandzukic, Luka Modric and Ante Rebic both have goals.

• If France wins today, Didier Deschamps will become the third man to win the World Cup as a player and manager, joining the Brazilian Mario Zagalo and West Germany. . Franz Beckenbauer

Some Pregnancy Readings

• Rory Smith wonders if this could be the best World Cup, and with Qatar 2022 and an expanded 2026 on the horizon, he could keep this title for some time. The pre-World Cup where France finds its players seems more and more presciente every day

• People underestimating Croatia make a mistake

• Barney Ronay of the Guardian argues that Luka Modric, Champions League winner and (potential) World Cup winner has done enough to supplant Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as a world player of the year.

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