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Antoine Griezmann transforms his role in dazzling fashion as France advances to the World Cup final.
Antoine Griezmann is set and ready for the “totally different proposition” Lionel Messi poses after inspiring France to another World Cup final.
Griezmann put on a man-of-the-match performance as defending champions France defeated Morocco 2-0 to halt their remarkable run to the final, setting up a matchup with Argentina on Sunday.
Recall, Deschamps‘ hand was forced after Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante suffered injuries before to the World Cup.
The world champions reportedly turned to Griezmann out of desperation to fill the void left by two stars of their victory in Russia four years prior. It was advertised as a gamble, but it ended up being brilliant.
The 31-year-old is adamant that France will be ready to defend their title against Messi and co, and he says they will start developing a strategy right away on Thursday.
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“Any team with Messi in is a totally different proposition,” Griezmann told his post-match press conference. “We’ve seen practically all of the matches at this World Cup, we’ve seen Argentina play, we know how they play, they are a difficult team to play and team who are on top form.
“Of course, there isn’t only Messi, they have a strong side around him, so we know it’s going to be a tough game. We know they are going to have a lot of support from the crowd. So, we going to get to work tomorrow, talk about it, see what to focus on and where we can hurt them and defend against them. We will be well prepared.”
Griezmann was the player on the field who produced twice as many chances against Morocco as any other player, and his brilliant turn in behind helped pave the way for Theo Hernandez’s goal.
But his consistent defensive prowess was just as important; he managed to keep Morocco at a distance with three clearances, two tackles, and two interceptions.
Obviously, the lead-up to Sunday’s World Cup final will be dominated by Mbappe and Lionel Messi. Griezmann’s hands will be all over it once more, albeit under a different form, if France is to keep the title that it helped Russia win.