France gave Australia a lesson in authority: World champion fought back and pulled out a candidate’s badge

Making his debut at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, France i was watching before Australia start off on the right foot to escape the “champion’s curse”, which sees three consecutive World Cups in which the defending national team is eliminated in the groups in the next cup (Italy in South Africa 2010, Spain in Brazil 2014 and Germany Russia 2018) . And in that sense it started in the best way, with a narrow victory 4 to 1 against Graham Arnold’s team in Group D, where Denmark and Tunisia had drawn goalless.

He was also trying to escape the internal ghosts of recent injuries in the previous World Cup, which he had inside Karin Benzema (current Ballon d’Or) the last and most sensational figure who had to say goodbye to the tournament, but who had previously suffered the defeats of Pogba, Kante, Kimpembe Y nkunkumen of weight in the armed forces of Didier Deschamps. And in this sense he has shown that he knows how to assimilate the victims. It’s more: Olivier Giroudthe substitute of Real Madrid’s nine, was one of his high points.

Contrary to what previously happened to the Argentina national team, which was unable to react when Saudi Arabia overturned the result in five minutes, it was the French who, after starting to lose after 8 minutes, were able to show play and personality overwhelms his rival and in just under five minutes he gets the 2-1.

Then, when the Frenchman’s third goal arrived in the second half, there was no longer any danger for the result or for the damage that his rival could do to him.

Craig Goodwin had surprised by appearing on the left, alone and without marking, leaving captain Lloris helpless after a cross from Mathew Leckie, which overflowed after a ball from goal by Harry Souttar. That’s how Australia showed itself in those first few minutes: a practical, straightforward team that got complicated with its intensity and a plan it couldn’t sustain much longer.

It is that France have begun to compose themselves, with quick and precise touches, and have shown all their potential to react. Mbappé on the left, Dembelé on the right, but as they both moved along the entire front of the attack, they represented a great danger to the Australian defense only due to their specific weight. Rabiot, meanwhile, has become a fundamental pillar for the comeback in that phase of the match.

Not only for having finalized the equalizer with a header from a cross by Theo Hernandez (who came on because his brother Lucas injured his knee after 10 minutes), but because, after that goal in the 26th minute, he pressed for an Australian exit and won. Mbappé gave his quality touch to manage the block and that of Juventus assisted Olivier Giroud who pushed on goal without putting up any resistance. Up until that goal, the striker had never managed to score at the World Cup.

After that game, it was another game he was seen in al janoub stadium from Al Wakrah. France showed their candidate badge and stomped, beyond a single fright in that first half’s discount, after a Jackson Irvine header that hit the post, which prevented a new equalizer for the ‘Socceroos“.

In the second stage, much of the world champion’s potential and strength was shown. With Griezmann as a well planted driver, Giroud as a pivot and Tchouameni disguised as Kanté, the oceanic team could do little to avoid defeat.

The third came with the Dembelé-Mbappé connection. The PSG player headed a pinpoint cross from the Barcelona forward into the box from six meters, the ball hit the post and entered smoothly through the center.

The 10 of France was a danger in every hand in hand and in every overflow it faced. Thus arrived the fourth and final, when he overflowed with speed and crossed with great precision so much that Giroud converted his double header and the final 4-1.

As mentioned, France played a match to avoid “the curse of the champion” and confirm that, despite the losses, they will be fighting for the title. Whether Australia will be a good parameter will be known as the games go by, but as today’s results have shown: no rival is easy in Qatar 2022.

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