FOR ENGLAND TO BEAT FRANCE, GRIEZMANN HAS TO BE OVERPOWERED

FOR ENGLAND TO BEAT FRANCE, GRIEZMANN HAS TO BE OVERPOWERED

By Rashmi Goel

The reigning world champions France will be England's toughest test at the Fifa World Cup in Qatar. This will be one of the most anticipated games of the tournament as the two historical rivals clash in Saturday's quarterfinal at the Al Bayt Stadium. As the tournament progressed, the Three Lions and Les Bleus proved why they were tipped as favorites. The two teams have shown some great moments over the last two weeks, and it will be an interesting battle to watch. It is unquestionably Kylian Mbappe who will pose England's greatest challenge in the upcoming clash, but the Three Lions must win in midfield.

Both nations have strong midfields and have made progress in Qatar. In terms of the England team, Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, and Jordan Henderson have been outstanding together, while Adrien Rabiot and Aurelien Tchouameni have played very well for Les Bleus. Many predicted that France would not be able to retain their World Cup title once Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante, their star midfielders from Russia four years ago, would be missing in action. Although they have been critical absentees for Didier Deschamps, their absence has not been as detrimental as many predicted for their chances in Qatar. It has been a surprise to watch Rabiot be so reliable. Tchouameni has also been equally reliable. France's most important cog has been Antoine Griezmann. In Deschamps' midfield, the petite superstar who usually plays in the attack has played a crucial role. In order to act as a bridge between the defense and the attack, the Atletico Madrid attacker dropped deeper than usual on the pitch.

Because of Mbappe's brilliance in front of the goal, his contributions have largely gone unnoticed. However, Mbappe would not have been able to receive the ball in such a good position without Griezmann. Due to a previous contract clause, the player had very limited playing time at Atletico earlier this season, which has been great for the player since his career as a forward has been on the decline in recent years. He has flourished in his new role under Deschamps and is back at his best on the field. A 31-year-old midfielder, the qualities that once made him a troublesome forward have transformed him into one of the top performers at this year's World Cup. Griezmann has been France's most influential player in the Middle East despite Mbappe being its most famous player. Griezmann made his 71st consecutive appearance for France against Poland in the last 16, a record for the French national team, highlighting just how important he has been to Deschamps.

As with England's Bellingham, Griezmann has combined the roles of an eight and a ten in his new position. It is not uncommon for him to come deep in order to receive the ball or to get involved when his side is out of possession. As soon as he acquires the ball, he will drive it forward before passing it to a teammate so that he can get it back in an advanced position. Afterward, the creator's mind begins to function as he analyses what is the best way to offer Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele the freedom to perform their best. The key to victory for Gareth Southgate's England squad will be finding a way to suppress Griezmann away from the training pitches in Al-Wakrah. During the tournament so far, Bellingham has been praised for his skills as an all-around midfielder as well as his incredible energy levels. He could be the individual Southgate turns to counter Griezmann in the game, but he could also turn to Rice as the defensive shield against Griezmann, preventing Les Bleus from getting into any rhythm and preventing Mbappe from having a chance to score. Griezmann's confidence makes it difficult to keep him quiet, but England's midfield has a greater chance than most to prevent him from dictating the game.