It was THE big poster for these quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup. After easily beating Senegal in the previous round (3-0), the Three Lions faced a much tougher opponent: the French team, champions of the title world. On paper, the match announced very strong with the presence of the trio Saka, Kane and Foden on the English side, against the French offensive armada, composed of Griezmann, Mbappé, Dembélé and Giroud.
But beyond a prestigious match, it was above all a World Cup semi-final that awaited the winner of this highly anticipated duel. But it was the French who were the most enterprising at the start of the game. With their foot on the ball, the Blues quietly waited to advance and on a very nice long shot from Tchouameni, France opened the scoring (1-0, 18th). Kane then tried to wake up England, but Lloris was decisive, twice (22nd and 29th).
The Blues have character
The French returned to the locker room with the advantage, but the second period promised to be complicated. And this was the case, because the start of the period was catastrophic. The Blues were still saved by Lloris (47th), but then conceded a penalty after a foul on Saka. An opportunity transformed by Kane, the most dangerous (1-1, 54). The French defense was then in difficulty against Foden and Saka, untenable. And when it was not them, Maguire was dangerous from the head (70th).
But this France team has resources. While the Three Lions were in clear domination, the Blues managed to reverse the score thanks to a new center from Griezmann deposited on Giroud, at the best of times (2-1, 78th). The Blues then thought they had done the hard part… but after contact between Hernandez and Mount, a new penalty was offered to Kane. But the Spurs striker sent his attempt far above the bar of Lloris (84th)! Undoubtedly the fate of a team that did the hardest and qualified for the semi-final against Morocco. The Blues are only two games away from retaining their title of World Champion.
Man of the match: Griezmann (7.5)
Surely one of the best French in the first period, the number 7 of the Blues was in the oven and in the mill. Very good defensively with many life-saving returns at the start of the game (4th), it was also he who made the decisive pass for Tchouameni (17th). He was the metronome of the France team thanks to his incessant activity around the two penalty areas. A boss-size match for the 31-year-old. In the second period, he was less visible but oh so important on the rare French offensives as on the new offering he delivered for Giroud on the second French goal (78th). Note that he received a yellow card at the end of the first period (43rd).
England
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Pickford (4.5): Olivier Giroud allowed him to warm up his gloves (11th), but Aurélien Tchouaméni’s powerful strike left him no chance (17th). After a first period that was ultimately rather calm, he relaxed well on a strike from Adrien Rabiot (55th). Author of an extraordinary parade in front of Olivier Giroud (77th), he bowed to this same number 9 on the following action (78th).
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Walker (5): he was certainly the most anticipated English player in view of his announced duel with Kylian Mbappé. And it is clear that his first period was level. Never really overwhelmed, he was also dominant in his duels (3/3 won). It took until the 55th minute of play to see him being overtaken by Kylian Mbappé, on a high-V speed overflow from the Frenchman.
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Stones (6): he played a part marked by a notable accuracy in the game of the ball at the foot. He also used his experience to provoke French faults or to ensure that his were not reported. Hit 75 times, he managed to complete 100% of his passes, both short and long. Replaced by Jack Grealish (90th+8)
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Maguire (5): constantly looking for attacking set pieces, the Manchester United central defender saw his physical characteristics put to use against Olivier Giroud. He sent an intense thrill to all the French with 20 minutes to go, sending his header to the post of Hugo Lloris.
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Shaw (5.5): he tried to deceive Hugo Lloris on a free kick (21st), without success. Put in difficulty by the vivacity of Ousmane Dembélé in the first period, the left side of the Three Lions recovered well during the second. Much more present on the offensive level, he delivered many more or less dangerous centers in the tricolor area.
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Henderson (5): very present with Bukayo Saka on the right side, the English number 8 was also present with Kyle Walker, so as to perform a double take on Kylian Mbappé. He was also very valuable in the laundry, regularly harassing the ball carrier, even if it meant making a few small mistakes. Replaced by Mason Mount (79th) who obtained, as soon as he entered, a penalty in favor of his team.
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Rice (5.5): regulator of the English midfield, he is thus the player to have touched the most balls in this sector during the first act. Always very calm with the ball at his feet, he perfectly oriented his team’s game, letting them benefit from the quality of his transmissions.
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Bellingham (6): after seeing Antoine Griezmann scratch several balls in his feet, the young English midfielder managed to get into his game well. Very available in almost all areas of the game, the Borussia Dortmund player made Hugo Lloris shine from the start of the second act (47th). Very combative, he however showed signs of annoyance, demanding many things from the central referee.
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Saka (7): a first good ball recovered from the feet of Tchouaméni (3rd) and an overflowing activity on his right side were not enough to take the measure of a well-legged Théo Hernandez… or at least in the first period. Provocative, he is behind the penalty won by England and was the main danger on the English side. Replaced by Raheem Sterling (79th)
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Kane (6): he was close to taking the French defense from behind (22nd) and caused many problems for Dayot Upamecano. He forced his Tottenham teammate, Hugo Lloris, to the parade (29th), before deceiving him on a penalty at the start of the second act (54th). He also, as usual, made many stalls, so as to participate in the game of his team. He could have been the savior of his people if he had managed to convert his second shot on goal (84th).
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Foden (5.5): initially placed on the left side of the English attack, he finally had a role of free spirit, dropping out on numerous occasions and not hesitating to navigate the entirety of the playing area to propose solutions to his teammates. Hard-hitting, he also caused several fouls in important areas with a view to creating chances. Replaced by Marcus Rashford (86th) who also had the opportunity to equalize at the end of the game.
France
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Lloris (7.5): the Blues goalkeeper made many life-saving interventions in the first period, including one on Shaw’s free kick (21st). A minute later, he made a very good outing at the feet of Kane (22nd). He released a new high-class parade against the English striker on a deflected shot which went into his skylight (29th). Back from the locker room, the Spurs goalkeeper made the perfect save on Bellingham’s strike (47th) but he can’t do anything about Kane’s equalizer on penalty (54th).
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Kounde (5): the Barcelonan was not reassuring on his right side due in particular to a flagrant lack of automatism with Dembélé on the offensive phases. Defensively, he made a good header to get ahead of Kane a few minutes before halftime (41st). He suffered against the English attackers and did not show himself very much in the opposing part of the field, a really complicated meeting for him during which he did not win points.
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Varana (6): the defense of the France team was calm and solid in the first period under the impulse of the Manchester United player as evidenced by his control in the opposing part of the field under pressure from the opposing attackers when all his teammates were mounted (35th). The English equalizer sowed doubt in the heads (54th) and the defense crumbled but it still managed not to sink to avoid defeat.
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Upamecano (5.5): the Bayern player managed a good intervention on Saka before the goal of the Blues (17th). He also lost his duel against Kane by being tricked by his body feint (22nd). And he could have committed a very damaging foul on the Spurs player (25th) but the VAR ruled in favor of the Frenchman (27th). Despite his mistakes, the defender of the Blues was relatively solid on the other situations he had to manage such as the overflow then the center of Saka (51st).
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Hernandez (5): the side was not very comfortable like his alter ego on the other side of the field but he was still a cut above both defensively and offensively. When France had just conceded the equalizer and suffered in retreating against the English offensives, he obtained a questionable fault by carrying out a high-class defensive return against Saka (72nd). Unfortunately for him, he makes a very avoidable fault on Mount and offers a new penalty to England after the intervention of the VAR (82nd).
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Griezmann (7.5): man of the match, see above.
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Chuameni (6.5): the Madrilenian started his meeting with a bad recovery (3rd). Conversely, the France team owes him the opener with an incredible long shot that deceived Pickford (17th). However, he disappeared from radar after his achievement and worse, he was responsible for the English equalizer by being too naive and mowing down Saka in the French area (52nd). The midfielder was caught by Maguire in a head duel but luckily for him the defender found Lloris’ post (70th).
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Rabiot (7): the Juventus player was invaluable in the midfield of the Blues even if he started his match with a dangerous ball loss (14th). In the process, he continued with a very good recovery but the former Parisian did not shoot and preferred to put away for Mbappé, too bad (15th). The 27-year-old shone in midfield in the first half. After the break, he made another good intervention to recover the ball and launch the counterattack (56th). He was less flamboyant in the second period.
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Dembele (5.5): the Barcelonan started his match by showing his good understanding with Griezmann with a very good connection between the two players. Very involved but lacking in success, he did not have the expected influence. The twirling winger simplified his game but nothing worked and he often seemed not to believe it in the second period on two hot situations that he should have read better. He also got a yellow card on a defensive return (46th). He was replaced by Coman (79th).
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Giroud (6.5): the pivot of the Blues could have put his foot instead of his head on the first French hot situation (11th). Little to his advantage in the first period, he showed himself at the best of times, after the English equalizer. At first, his recovery with the flat foot was pushed back for a corner by Pickford (77th). Then a few minutes later, he delivered the Blues by beating Maguire on the second French goal (78th). The Milanese is still as valuable at the forefront of the attack.
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Mbappe (5): the Parisian set fire to his left side from the start of the meeting (2nd) even if he missed most of his gestures in the first period. He could have launched Rabiot with a subtle pass but he preferred to keep the ball while getting a good well-placed foul. It is also the Parisian striker who is at the conclusion of the combination put in place by the Blues on this set piece (39th). He made his first overflow on Walker in the second period (56th). By far, his worst match in the competition as evidenced by his new missed dribble (90th + 1).
