FIFA World Cup 2018 finals, France vs Croatia Preview: World Cup final could be won or lost in midfield

France will play its third final and will attempt to win a second title while Croatia will face the title for the first time. (Source: Reuters)

It is tempting to call the France favorite to win the 2018 World Cup. They own a team that is as close as possible to being truly complete, as they do. showed in their semifinal against Belgium. Moreover, between them and Croatia, it is France which is one of the "big football teams of the 21st century". The list of their former players is like making a call from some of the legends of the sport and pretty much the same thing could be said about the current team in a decade or so. However, it is not necessary to take a microscopic look at the Croats to know how false this presumption of superiority of France is.

Between them, Ivan Rakitic, Mario Mandzukic, Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic – who formed the core of the game – have won the Champions League four times, the Europa League once, four league titles, three titles Bundesliga and Italian Serie A three times. Their goalkeeper Danijel Subasic was an integral part of the Monegasque team who beat Paris Saint-Germain as the French champions and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2016/17. None of them can be compared to a World Cup, but the point to emphasize here is that a big match situation is not a concept totally foreign to the best Croatian players. The notion of France as direct favorites can be crumpled and thrown into the trash.

Croatian players have won a series of individual honors while playing for their respective clubs. (Source: AP / File)

France is a fierce counter-attack. Most of their goals in knockouts come from pawns or attacks that were quickly put in place. Adjacent, they look heavy when it is necessary to hold the ball and build attacks slowly. France failed to win in their group matches against Australia and Peru, as in both cases they were allowed to keep the ball and build attacks at home. place to go directly to Croatia. press the opposition up the field when they do not have it. In their semifinal match, this pressing forced Jordan Pickford to use long balls to ease the pressure. This eventually forced England to bypbad Jordan Henderson and ultimately their attackers seemed rather isolated. With the pressure up, Croatia has also made sure that they do not allow crossovers to reach Harry Kane. But such tactics, in which a team tries to put pressure when the ball is in the opposing half and to charge defenders into the area to face crossfire, leads to big gaps in the midfield. England was unhappy and could not do anything about it, but Croatia can not afford to do the same against France.

15 – Kylian Mbappé has attempted 15 dribbles against Belgium ?? (7 completed), highest for a French player World Cup Match since Opta badyzes the competition (since 1966). Hook. #FRABEL #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/DM6D53S82b

– OptaJean (@OptaJean) July 10, 2018

Kylian Mbappe has previously shown in this tournament what that he can do when given a relatively empty midfield. His piercing crosses the entire Argentine half of the field before provoking a penalty. It's one of many moments that are now part of the World Cup tradition. He is a better finisher than the likes of Raheem Sterling and Jesse Lingard. In addition, France will surely launch forward Olivier Giroud, as they have done in all knockout matches in Russia.

A clear midfielder would also be a hunting ground for Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann. Therefore, if Croatia uses the same tactics as England against Sunday, the powers that will be in Paris will be able to reserve an open top bus to challenge the World Cup trophy at halftime. To prevent this from happening, Croatia will have to put pressure on the team and not allow the French to push back their defensive line.

Croatian strikers can occupy French midfielders. (Source: AP)

It should also be remembered that the threat of attack from Croatia may be embarrbading for France. Didier Deschamps has pulled out his team in the variants of a 4-2-3-1 in the knockouts with N 'Golo Kante or Pogba badistant Benjamin Pavard on the right because of Mbappe's tendency to stay ahead . Ante Rebic is the man who operates in the right midfielder zone for Croatia and he often continues to change places with his counterpart on the left, Ivan Perisic. We expect that they will continue in the final and in this case, France will be very unhappy to see Perisic snatch Pogba or Kante from the midfield and give Modric and Rakitic the space and the time to orchestrate the attacks. If they choose to stay on these two players, Perisic and Rebic will be rioting and the back line of Raphael Varane, Samuel Umtiti and goaltender Hugo Lloris will have a very busy night. Pogba has also been involved in the defense of the crosses and so, he too will be locked in the box of opposition.

Tactics, however, will begin to lose their meaning once the match reaches the final stages. The pressure of being in the final minutes of the World Cup Final installs and no player, no matter how experienced or talented, can escape it. Didier Deschamps and his counterpart Zlatko Dalic would like their team to benefit very early. It would be foolhardy to miss the first few minutes of play.

In fact, it would be stupid to miss a minute of this match

It's the final of the World Cup.

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