Jonathan Northcroft: The tactical battles that swung crazy Argentina v France World Cup final

As Messi tired, he needed teammates close to him and running off him to cause damage. Having replaced an exhausted Alvarez, Lautaro Martinez did an excellent job. Messi’s second goal came when Martinez and Enzo Fernandez formed a tight passing triangle with the maestro. The scruffy finish made for an unusual Messi goal which in some ways proved his genius: true greats find whatever is necessary to make the difference. But he couldn’t have done so without a supporting cast.

The Di Maria masterstroke

Lionel Scaloni’s big gambit was to reintroduce Angel Di Maria to Argentina’s line-up. The veteran, 34, had not started since the group stage but is an incredible big-game player. He scored the only goal in both finals when Argentina won the 2021 Copa America and 2008 Olympics and wove in from the left touchline, slaloming between defenders, to create Gareth Bale’s winner for Real Madrid in the 2014 Champions League final.

Maybe that goal was in Scaloni’s mind when he gave Di Maria the job of using his dribbling to expose France’s tendency to defend narrowly, especially on their right side, where Jules Kounde, a natural centre back, preferred tucking in to going out and defending one-on-one against wingers.

The gambit proved a masterstroke. From the first moments, Di Maria adopted a daringly high and wide position and Argentina looked for him. Worried by Messi, France’s back four kept shuffling left to cover him with Kounde staying inside the width of the penalty box, forcing Ousmane Dembele back to help defend the flank – a job he was never suited to.

Argentina’s penalty came when Di Maria dribbled in from the left, luring Dembele to foul. Di Maria’s glory goal involved Argentina attacking on the other flank and him running in from his to slam home Mac Allister’s pass. It recalled an epithet of the former Manchester City assistant manager, Juanma Lillo: the last to arrive in the box is often the first to score.

Argentina’s manic press smothers Griezmann

Antoine Griezmann had nothing like his normal influence and it was down to super-assertive Argentine defensive work. When France had the ball they often went man to man and – especially in the early stages – their pressing was manic. Their deepest midfielder, Fernandez, engaged Griezmann aggressively when he moved centrally and Mac Allister kept dropping in to plug the inside right area where Griezmann caused so much damage to England. When Griezmann roamed, Argentina passed him on seamlessly – so he was never left unpoliced. Throughout the whole first half Griezmann made a remarkably meagre 11 passes and he was replaced halfway through the second.

Deschamps’ changes transform the game

Deschamps was decisive in his substitutions, replacing Dembele with Randal Kolo Muani and Olivier Giroud with Marcus Thuram in the 41st minute. The changes stopped Argentina controlling possession from the back and freed Mbappe.

Redeployed as a No.9, Mbappe – who made only 11 touches in the first half – was suddenly centre stage and made the most of it. He was helped by the substitutes’ ability to get close to him, allowing him to play one-twos, and by Kingsley Coman coming on.

Coman not only reinstated wing play as a France threat but added to the press, dispossessing Messi to begin the move for Mbappe’s second goal. Deschamps was brave in sacrificing Griezmann for Coman and replaced Theo Hernandez with Eduardo Camavinga, whose efforts on the left gave impetus to the comeback. Had Kolo Muani taken his 120th minute chance, one-on-one with Emi Martinez, Deschamps’ substitutions would have been lauded as the greatest in-game changes.

‘Mischief’ plays its part

There is a concept, in Argentina and Uruguay, called picardia – basically “streetwise mischief” and Argentina never missed the opportunity to get round referee Szymon Marciniak, to try to influence him. They added in numerous moments of time-wasting, an exaggerating of injuries to halt play when that suited them, and tactical fouls – like Marcus Acuna’s trip on Coman in stoppage time to prevent a dangerous French counter-attack. There was time-wasting and an exaggerating of injuries by Argentina as well as tactical fouls. But the decisive antics came during the shootout. With Argentina leading 2-1, after Paulo Dybala converted, Martinez kicked the ball away, forcing Aurelien Tchouameni to go and fetch it, adding to the young Frenchman’s nerves. Tchouameni missed. Picardia had done its job.

Taking multiple penalties

This might be painful for Harry Kane but two greats, Messi and Mbappe, showed how to take more than one penalty in a game. To put Argentina ahead, Messi rolled home from the spot after a deliberate run-up routine where he slowed down as he approached the ball to provoke Lloris into moving the wrong way. In the shootout he did the same.

Mbappe converted three penalties, two in the game and one in the shootout, each time taking the same slow run-up and smashing the ball into the same corner. Kane changed from his normal kick when he missed that fateful penalty v France. Messi and Mbappe showed why takers should ignore the goalkeeper and stick to their routine.

– The Times

Originally published as Jonathan Northcroft: The tactical battles that swung crazy Argentina v France World Cup final