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England-France: King Giroud delivers Blues who spin in the semi-finals of the World Cup

2022-12-10T21:27:44.300Z


The France team qualified for the semi-finals of the World Cup by dominating England (1-2) on Saturday evening. They will face Morocco on Wednesday.


Special envoy to Al-Khor

To discover

  • World Cup: The complete table of the final phase

  • All World Cup match results

  • Download the Le Figaro Sport app and follow the Blues in Qatar

The dream continues and with it the wildest hopes escort it.

Who would have predicted on November 16, when the Blues arrived in Doha, that they would be able to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup?

Let's face it, few people.

Almost no one, as the absences were numerous and the group decimated.

But Didier Deschamps and his troops, like the French in general, are never so good when faced with adversity.

To find unexpected resources.

Saturday, in the Qatari desert and the magnificent Al-Bayt stadium with Bedouin tents, the defending champions defeated Harry Kane's England (1-2), after a breathless quarter-final, sometimes closed, sometimes tense but above all ideally decanted by an Olivier Giroud symbol of

a French team that never gives up in Qatar.

How far will the Blues go?

Two more matches and the third star can be embroidered on the tunic struck with the rooster.

Unthinkable… Wednesday, it will already be necessary to get rid of Morocco, astonishing winner of Portugal (1-0) a few hours earlier.

The adventure goes on.

And she is already beautiful.

Seductive.

It remains to make it doubly historic.

A real boxing fight, hero captain Lloris

During the first act, we thought we were back four years in the country of Vladimir Poutine, with disciplined and solid Blues around maestro Antoine Griezmann.

By his placement, his ability to place himself in the intervals on the right side and his ability, with his volume of play, to carry out the defensive withdrawal, "Grizou" set the tone and showed the way to his partners.

It was enough to follow him to thwart the plan of the English.

With a very clear anti-Mbappé plan, Deschamps and his staff knew the free spaces on the opposite side.

And it hit home on a French counter initiated by Upamecano relayed by Hernandez and Mbappé, then Dembélé and Griezmann before a 25-meter strike from a surgical Tchouaméni, which reminded a certain Paul Pogba in Russia (0-1, 17th).

Behind, the English, pricked in their pride, pushed, but whether it was Shaw (21st), Kane (22nd, 29th) or Bellingham (47th), all fell on a large Lloris, supposed to be the "Achilles heel of the French as announced by part of the English press this week.

Nothing to ignite either, as the Three Lions did not have much to envy to the French collective.

By their physical density, like the fight between Maguire-Stones and Giroud or their vivacity with Saka-Bellingham, Gareth Southgate's men could look the Blues straight in the eye.

And logically be rewarded with a penalty from Kane following a foul by Tchouaméni on Saka on the way back from the locker room (1-1, 52nd).

Relentless and almost a foregone conclusion.

Giroud, savior of the country

What followed was a real boxing fight, with each of the two teams on the edge of the precipice.

A blow the French, with an untenable Saka (60th) and an imprecise Maguire (70th), then the English, on two actions of Giroud (75th, 77th).

For two clans on the verge of breaking up.

And in these cases, to the big men the big matches.

Moment chosen by Olivier Giroud, to get everyone to agree, and to place a header diverted by Maguire to deceive Pickford (1-2, 78th).

On the French bench, Didier Deschamps exulted with his staff while the substitutes entered the field to congratulate the top scorer in the history of the Blues, author of his 53rd goal in selection, his 4th in Qatar.

But nothing was written in this quarter-final which smelled of sulfur between the old rivals.

On a rough defense behind Mount's back,

Hernandez offered a new ammunition, after video arbitration, to Kane on penalty … But this time, the friend of Lloris shot in the stands of Al-Bayt Stadium (84th).

To the delight of relieved world champions, coming very close to a punishment.

Until the end they will have trembled.

Until the end England will have pushed as on this final free kick from Rashford (90 + 8).

But this France team has had something divine since the start of this World Cup.

Along with Argentina and Croatia, it is the only major nation in the world to have assumed its status when all the others have broken their faces and have already gone home.

More than one team would have plunged with the cascade of packages known by the Blues.

More than one nation would have become gentrified after their world title.

Four years later, the ambitions are intact.

With Didier Deschamps hungry as ever, this French team has everything to achieve a double never seen for more than 60 years in the history of football.

On Wednesday it will challenge Morocco, which defeated Portugal.

And these Blues have not finished talking about them.

History is on.

There are two chapters left to write.

The most beautiful.

Source: lefigaro

All sports articles on 2022-12-10

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