World Cup 2018: France 2-1 Australia; 3 key battles that decided the game

#2 Antoine Griezmann vs Josh Risdon

Griezmann made use of his chemistry with Hernandez to wreak havoc on the left flank

It was fitting that Griezmann scored France's first goal of the WC, as he was their best player on the pitch when going forward, even more so than Mbappe and Dembele. Playing on the left, Griezmann often dropped back to allow Hernandez on the overlap and the two Atletico Madrid players replicated their club chemistry for the national team as well.

Until the penalty call, Risdon had done very well for Australia. Along with the rest of his defense and the two DMs, Australia had created a 6 man wall that looked like it would never come down. The foul in itself was very unlucky, as Risdon got the ball but caught Griezmann on the follow through - which he could not have avoided.

Griezmann vs Risdon - stats

Why Deschamps decided to take Griezmann out of the game is a mystery. He is not someone who gets tired often, and is fit enough to play the 90 minutes without needing protection. When Griezmann was taken off, France lost their most dynamic player and it was only by a stroke of luck that they won.