Analysis: Selection for the final of the Cup would have 7 French and 4 Argentines; check out

France and Argentina reach the final of the Cup this Sunday (18) after dealing with several obstacles during the competition.

Since his debut, against Saudi Arabia, Lionel Scaloni has used different formations in Argentina. And even when he kept the scheme, he traded parts. Tagliafico, Papu Gomez and Lautaro Martínez lost their place. Enzo Fernández and Julián Álvarez became untouchables. The scheme already had two, three or four players in the middle. For the final, Scaloni tested different formations.

On the French side, Didier Deschamps lost the starting left back at the beginning of the debut, but Theo Hernández, brother of the injured Lucas, took over the position. The French coach, who arrived in Qatar collecting embezzlements, didn’t need to change so much the scheme, but the parts. In recent games, France has been dealing with absences due to the flu (you can’t talk about Covid in Qatar).

Even without knowing who the starting 11 will be on Sunday, you can make the ideal 11 by mixing the two teams based on their performance throughout the Cup. Check it out below.

Goalkeeper

Frenchman Hugo Lloris, 35, and Argentine Emiliano Martínez, 30, play in the same league, the Premier League – respectively at Tottenham and Aston Villa. Both showed up well when required in the Cup. But despite Lloris having the chance to lift the cup as captain, we are left with the Argentine, fundamental in the classification against the Netherlands on penalties, when he saved two kicks.
Chosen: Martinez (Argentina)

Right side

Argentine Molina started in the debut against Saudi Arabia, but played poorly in the surprising defeat and lost his place against Mexico, entering only in the second half. Against the Poles, with the rest of the team more accurate, Molina became the absolute starter and even scored a goal, in the 2-2 against the Netherlands, in the quarterfinals.
Koundé, who also acts as a defender, replaced Pavard at the end of the opening match (4-1 against Australia). But he already appeared in the starting lineup in the second game. In the Cup, he has been playing more at the back, perhaps to compensate for the constant advances on the other side, with Theo Hernandez.
Chosen: Koundé (France)

left side

None of the position’s players started in the starting line-up. Argentine Acuña won the position in the second match, replacing Tagliafico. He was out of the semifinal due to excess cards, but should return to the post in the decision. Already the French Theo Hernández was reserve of the brother, Lucas. He became a starter right on his debut, when Lucas was injured in the Australian goal bid. After he came on, he took over the position and scored a goal in the semi-final against Morocco. He competes to be the left side of the Cup.
Chosen: Theo Hernandez (France)

Zaga

The experienced Argentinian Otamendi, 34, is the only defender in the final to have played every minute of his national team’s game. During the World Cup, Scaloni even chose Romero or Martínez to accompany him — and against the Netherlands, he put all three in the defense. In the French scheme, Varane and Upamecano form the titular defense. Although Upamecano was a standout against England, the defender fell ill and did not play in the semi-final. Now, it is Varane who had symptoms before the final.
Selected: Otamendi (Argentina) and Varane (France)

Midfield

Scaloni has changed formation depending on the rival. In the semifinal, against Croatia, Argentina populated the midfield with Paredes, MacAllister, De Paul and Enzo Fernández, this one, the great find of the Argentine coach in the Cup — he started on the bench, became a starter in the second game and never left.
Didier Deschamps must have imagined a very different medium before the Worlds. But the absences of Kanté and Pogba made the coach assemble the middle with Rabiot and Tchouaméni, and each one scored a goal in the Cup. But the big difference between France 2018 and 2022 is Griezmann’s tactical role, more in the back, and fundamental both in marking and in tackling. He didn’t score goals, but he already had three assists.
Selected: Enzo Fernández (Argentina), Rabiot (France) and Griezmann (France)

Attack

Mbappé, number 10 for France, the team’s top scorer with 5 goals and candidate for best player in the competition. Messi, number 10 for Argentina, the team’s top scorer with 5 goals and candidate for best player in the competition. PSG colleagues are the main names of the tournament and reference in their teams. The difference is that France already won without needing Mbappé (against England).
The two stars have good supporters in charge of the attack: Giroud, from France, and the young Julián Álvarez, from Argentina, add up to 4 goals each and are also fighting for the golden boot. He can close his eye and choose any one of them. Ah, France usually still play with a third striker, with Dembélé open on the right side.
Selected: Mbappé (France), Messi (Argentina) and Giroud (France)