Argentina and France set up must-see final: World Cup semi-final review
Argentina 3-0 Croatia
It was a battle between two of this generation's greatest players as Lionel Messi’s Argentina took on Luka Modric’s Croatia. Croatia rarely posed much of a challenge as Argentina coasted to their second World Cup final in three attempts.
Messi was instrumental in all three goals, converting the perfect penalty for the first, gifting Julian Alvarez a perfectly placed pass for the second and magnificently deceiving Josko Gvardiol three times to assist Alvarez for the third.
After a stuttering start to the competition, Argentina look like a team determined to get their hands on the trophy. And with Messi officially announcing that this will be his final crack at the tournament, his side will be adamant to lift that illustrious trophy.
Having assisted Alvarez with his two goals, Messi is now level with Diego Maradona on eight assists in World Cup matches, but it will be Maradona’s success at the 1986 World Cup that he will be hoping to emulate.
Croatia lived on the brink throughout the whole tournament. They were inches away from a group stage exit against Belgium, they could only defeat Japan on penalties and were minutes away from elimination against Brazil. The Vatreni are a side that love to defy all odds, but unfortunately they couldn’t repeat their 2018 feat.
France 2-0 Morocco
France edged out the World Cup’s surprise package, Morocco to seal a place in Sunday’s final against Argentina. France will become the seventh team to play in successive World Cup finals as Didier Deschamps’ men earn the chance to defend their crown.
The score line makes the game seem comfortable in France’s favour. It was anything but. An early goal from Theo Hernandez had neutrals expecting a whitewash, but Morocco stood their ground. Having only created a few chances of their own, the Atlas Lions pushed France until the very end, but a late sucker-punch from Randal Kolo Muani ensured Les Blues booked a place in the final.
France had yet to earn a clean sheet this campaign and Morocco had manufactured one in every game bar one, so this match was intriguing as any. Starting his first game since the Group Stage Ibrahim Konate was the catalyst for France to keep their first clean-sheet of the tournament.
Compared to Rocky Balboa by manager Walid Regragui after his side eliminated some of Europe’s best teams in Belgium, Spain, and Portugal, the Atlas Lions could not repeat the miracles of Rocky IV as they came up against their own Ivan Drago. However, while Les Blues celebrated, an applause for the losing team rang around the stadium, who achieved history by becoming the first African team to reach a World Cup semi-final.
Didier Deschamps and his side will be aiming to become the first team since 1962 to win back-to-back World Cup finals. With Kylian Mbappe up against his PSG teammate Lionel Messi, it will certainly be a classic.