It was always going to be a close match between England and France in their World Cup quarter-final clash, and so it proved to be. The French came through in the end, and if they can overcome Morocco in their semi-final on Wednesday night, they will have the chance to win back-to-back World Cups on Sunday against the winner of Tuesday night’s semi-final between Argentina and Croatia.
A France vs Argentina final is expected
Lionel Messi and his Argentinian side overcame an edgy encounter against the Netherlands in their quarter-final, while Croatia saw off Brazil on penalties in their last-eight fixture. The latest odds on Argentina vs Croatia have Messi’s team as the 4/5 favorites to win. The French are 8/15 to beat Morocco in their respective match, so it’s fair to say the bookmakers are expecting a final between Argentina and France.
France dig deep to see off England
Last Saturday, France was really made to work for their win against Gareth Southgate’s England side.
🇫🇷 FRANCE 2 ➖ 1 ENGLAND 🏴
A clear star of the match is the French goalkeeper, Hugo #Lloris.
Lloris was put to the test multiple times by the #ThreeLions‘s multipotent and repeated attacks. #Qatar2022 #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/BFt6wwEEaU
— FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en) December 10, 2022
It wasn’t an easy victory for the defending champions by any means, and they had to rely on a couple of mistakes by England to win a tight match 2-1.
There were quite a few French mistakes also, most notably two clumsily conceded penalties, and yet Les Bleus still managed to win. On the flip side, reckless challenges in and around the edge of the box like that in the remainder of the competition could be more costly. Especially as the stakes get higher.
On another day, Harry Kane could have scored both his penalties, and who knows what the outcome would have been should the match have gone to extra time or a penalty shootout! And what is the chance of Lionel Messi missing if he gets gifted two spot kicks in a similar fashion, should France and Argentina progress to the final?
Differing opinions on what decided the match
How the outcome of the match was judged could depend on which side of the English Channel you originate from. Opinions on who was the better side differ, and the English seem to be focusing on the performance of the referee far more than the French have.
One man who was quiet on the night, but still managed to pop up with the winner, was Olivier Giroud. From the French perspective, Olivier Giroud stated that his team showed a great mentality to overcome a good England side, which is true.
Often derided in England, Giroud was sharper than English defender Harry Maguire when the cross came in from Antoine Griezmann at 78 minutes; a crucial moment that ultimately decided the match.
And it’s Harry Maguire that gave us all an insight into the English position on the game in his aftermatch interview. Maguire, instead of self-reflecting, decided to aim his fire at match referee Wilton Sampaio. After the match, Maguire said, “I think the referee’s decision-making throughout the game was really poor”.
HARRY KANE MISSES!
The penalty is blazed well over the bar.
Big opportunity missed.
England 1-2 France
🖥📱💻 Listen on @BBCSounds and get more on the @BBCSport app #BBCWorldCup #BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/g3zDlhDmLs
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 10, 2022
It’s obvious Maguire wasn’t referring to the two penalties England received, but it showed the mindset of the Manchester United defender, and it might go some way to explaining why he was on a plane home on Sunday, rather than Olivier Giroud and the rest of the French squad.
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