The AC Milan player was decisive, author of the 2-1 header from Griezmann’s cross. The Tottenham striker misses the 2-2 penalty after scoring the 1-1 one
France will challenge surprise Morocco in the semi-final on Wednesday. In the first encounter in a knockout match against England at the World Cup, Les Bleus suffered but prevailed thanks to goals from Tchouameni and Giroud. The thirty-six-year-old AC Milan player, who hit the fourth goal in four matches in Qatar, was more decisive this time than the Mbappé phenomenon. Not bad… The English would not have deserved the knockout for what they created, but they missed the 2-2 penalty with Kane (who had instead scored the 1-1 one) and faced an excellent Lloris, author of decisive saves.
Joy Tchouameni
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France had started better thanks above all to the initiatives that were developing on the right. Griezmann, behind Giroud in the 4-2-3-1 formation, was decentralized to duet with Dembelé and put Shaw in difficulty, not adequately covered by Foden. England, lined up with the usual 4-3-3, struggled to activate their wingers, initially well controlled, and so it was the world champions who took control of the match and took the lead. They did a general rehearsal with a (central) header from Giroud following a cross from Dembele, but they found the 1-0 with a long-range shot from Tchouameni that passed between Bellingham’s legs and was collected from behind of Pickford, late. The goal by Kanté’s substitute shook Southgate’s men who raised the pace and advanced the center of gravity thanks to the non-existent pressing of their opponents: the English held the ball more and above all hammered on the right, with Saka (finally alive) and with kane. Lloris was called upon to be rejected twice by his Tottenham striker-mate who also retreated in midfield to sew up the game and create gaps. The Three Lions went back to the locker room by a goal, but giving the impression of being more in the match because they had shown more quality and danger. The top scorer of the World Cup, Mbappé, was not very incisive.
KANE, EQUAL AND ERROR
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England also started the second half strong with a blow from Bellingham which was lifted over the away game by Lloris, still a protagonist. France made too many mistakes in dribbling especially with Rabiot and Mbappé and so the English often managed to recover the ball in the danger zone. The draw was born from an ingenuity by Tchouameni who knocked Saka down in the area: penalty kick and peremptory conversion by Kane, now first together with Wayne Rooney in the all-time ranking of His Majesty’s national team scorers (53 goals). For the first time in the World Cup, France were in clear difficulty and, even if a shot by Rabiot (saved) and an acceleration by Mbappé (wasted by Dembelé) tried to cheer them up a bit, England had more fuel and clearer ideas. He often relied on Saka, who sent Theo Hernandez into a tailspin, but above all he had numerical superiority in the middle of the field. Maguire headed the post and the English 2-1 seemed in the air. But since football isn’t an exact science, it was Les Bleus who took the lead again, with Giroud’s fourth world center. The AC Milan player had a general rehearsal with a left-footed shot from Dembelé’s cross, which was saved by Pickford and then headed the ball into the hole following Griezmann’s cross. France seemed to have brought the English to their knees who instead had the opportunity to equalize with a penalty that the uncertain Sampaio had granted thanks to the Var (Theo Hernandez pushed on the new entry Mount). But this time Kane kicked high. Southgate didn’t give up and tried to throw Rashford into the fray who came close to equalizing in the 10th minute of added time, but it was Deschamps’ men who were expected to play the semi-final against Morocco on Wednesday. They are still in the running for the second title, a feat Brazil last achieved (1958 and 1962). With a Giroud like this, and a champion of the caliber of Mbappé, dreaming is inevitable.
December 10, 2022 (change December 10, 2022 | 22:23)
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