The FIFA World Cup has reached the final stage with two footballing global heavyweights meeting when Argentina take on France in what has all the makings of being a special end to a wonderful month of action on the pitch.
This final will be billed as being all about Paris Saint Germain teammates Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi but with the cast on show there could be so much more about this concluding game of the tournament.
Where to watch
You have a choice of channel in the UK for this final. It is on ITV 1 and BBC 1 with the build-up on the former beginning at 1.30pm and the latter at 1.50pm. Kick off is at 3pm.
Argentina
I think had you said after their opening defeat to Saudi Arabia of all teams that a month later Argentina would be competing in this final then you might have got a few funny looks but that is the case. In essence the draw has opened up a touch for them as they were due on the seeding front to face Denmark in the Round of 16 and then Brazil in the semi-final and ended up facing neither but that is of no concern to them.
I think the one thing we can say about Argentina is that they have built their way into the tournament. It is open to debate just what they saw off in the semi-final but it was their best performance so far and they look to be peaking at the right time, just like they did when they won the Copa America last season. They might also be fuelled by the motivation of delivering Lionel Messi a World Cup title in his last World Cup match.
France
I think it is fair to say that many people could see France making this final right from the very first match they played in the tournament. There was an authority, confidence and dominance about the way they laid a marker down in taking care of Australia in that opening game that suggested that the defending champions were here and meant business. They also haven’t had the hardest route to the final on paper with England largely the only tough test they have faced but they won’t care about that.
The impressive thing about the French in this tournament has been the attacking play they have delivered. Clearly with Kylian Mbappe in their ranks that isn’t a surprise but they have been ruthless in the way they have finished teams off. They do remain vulnerable at the back though but they seem to be happy to trade that off given the quality of their attack. This French team know what it takes to win this title but it hasn’t been defended successfully for 60 years so history is against the French.
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Team News
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni could bring Marcos Acuna back into the side after he missed the semi-final with Croatia due to suspension. Angel di Maria is fully fit but Scaloni could leave his midfield and attack unchanged.
There has been all sorts of talk in the lead up to this game that Karim Benzema could make an incredible appearance in this final. Time will tell on that front but French coach Didier Deschamps will hope that Adrien Rabiot has recovered from the virus which has ripped through the camp. Olivier Giroud is rumoured to be a doubt which has elevated those Benzema talks.
Betting
These two met in a frenetic and fantastic Round of 16 match in Russia four years ago which France won 4-3 and although things might naturally be tighter with this being a final, I’m not convinced that will be the case because the styles of the two teams haven’t changed. They are both devastating in attack and have weaknesses in the defensive areas where the attacking units are at their strongest so I would be surprised if this is a dead final.
In fact, I suspect it might be similar to the one of four years ago where we might get an early piece of quality which sparks the thing into life and then the special players on the pitch for both teams can showcase their talent and introduce us to something special. These two attacks have scored freely throughout the tournament and given the strengths of them I have to believe they will make their mark in this match. I’m on Argentina outright so I hope they win but I’d be surprised if both teams don’t score before the 90 minutes are up here.
Tips
Back Both teams to score for a 3/10 stake at 1.91 with William Hill
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