The midfield battle will be crucial, Nahuel Molina must keep Kylian Mbappe quiet and Aurelien Tchouameni has to stop Lionel Messi… CHRIS SUTTON assesses three key battles ahead of Argentina vs France in the World Cup final
Sunday’s World Cup final will be decided by a number of fascinating match-ups all over the pitch.
Plenty has been written about Kylian Mbappe vs Lionel Messi and the respective threats each superstar brings – and it will be down to Argentina and France’s defences to keep the opposition’s danger man quiet.
Sportsmail’s Chris Sutton takes a look at three individual battles that could decide this weekend’s heavyweight clash in Qatar.
France have the unenviable task of trying to keep Lionel Messi quiet in the World Cup final
Griezmann v. Fernandez
Watching Antoine Griezmann against Morocco, if you didn’t know he was one of football’s best forwards of the last decade, you would have thought he was one of the best midfielders. His defensive work was seriously impressive in that semi-final win. But Griezmann is lethal with the ball, too, and this will be the ultimate test of the defensive instincts of Argentina’s young breakout star Enzo Fernandez. It’s a midfield battle I can’t wait to watch unfold.
The midfield battle between Antoine Griezmann and breakout star Enzo Fernandez will be key
Fernandez has been one of the World Cup’s emerging stars and is set for a big summer move
Mbappe v. Molina
There was so much talk of Kylian Mbappe versus Kyle Walker and England’s right back handled him well in the one-v-ones. Now it’s the turn of Argentina’s right back, Nahuel Molina.
Molina will want to tie down French roadrunner Mbappe but he also likes to fly forward himself to add to Argentina’s attacks. Morocco posed France problems down this wing using Achraf Hakimi and Hakim Ziyech. Mbappe wasn’t tracking back because, well, he’s Mbappe. But that makes this match-up with Molina so intriguing.
Kylian Mbappe will look to get the better of Nahuel Molina and add to his tally of five goals
Molina will be looking to take a page out of Kyle Walker’s book in keeping the Frenchman quiet
Tchouameni v. Messi
Aurelien Tchouameni will be operating in the deep-lying midfield role for France, most likely alongside Adrien Rabiot.
That is going to be a key area of this World Cup final when Lionel Messi drifts into that space, as he has been doing at this tournament to excellent effect. Messi can be quiet at the start of fixtures when it’s ferocious. But once the game settles down, and small gaps start to appear, that’s when you see him pop up in them and cause carnage. Tchouameni and Co have a big job to do.
Aurelien Tchouameni will have to be wary of where Messi looks to pick up space in midfield
Messi has been quietly effectual in going about his business before striking with a killer blow
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