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#2 Solid at the back
France have been criticized a lot for sitting back and defending in most of the games. What people don't realize is that defending is also important in a game.
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Many call it a negative approach to the game and say that it's 'boring' to watch a team play like that. To make the most of Mbappe, Matuidi and Griezmann, France had to play that way. There was no other choice – counter-attacking was the ideal way for them to score.
And at the back, Umtiti and Varane were rock solid. They were making sure that Mandzukic, Rebic and Perisic were not getting any space and were closing the gap every single time.
On the other hand, Dejan Lovren and Domagoj Vida were finding it difficult to contain the French forwards. Subasic was left fully exposed and he kept conceding goals.
