Antoine Griezmann earns an 8 as France reach World Cup semi-finals with Uruguay win

Aditya Devavrat 20:23 06/07/2018
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  • Antoine Griezmann starred for France.

    France booked their spot in the World Cup semi-finals after an impressive 2-0 win over Uruguay thanks to goals from Raphael Varane and Antoine Griezmann.

    Les Bleus put in a professional performance to reach the last four for the first time since 2006.

    Here’s a look at how the players rated.

    STARTING XI

    Hugo Lloris 9 – An assured presence throughout and pulled off a stunning save to preserve France’s lead at 1-0.

    Benjamin Pavard 7 – Didn’t make as spectacular an intervention as he had against Argentina, but Pavard still enhanced his reputation with a solid defensive display.

    Raphael Varane 8 – A superb run and header for France’s opener, and a stable presence in Les Bleus’ back line.

    Samuel Umtiti 6 – The Barcelona defender looked shaky at times coming up against club colleague Luis Suarez, although he ultimately helped limit the Uruguayan’s impact.

    Lucas Hernandez 7 – There was plenty of pre-match talk about Atletico Madrid defenders, and one did shine – Hernandez outplayed club-mates Diego Godin and Jose Gimenez.

    Paul Pogba 8 – Ran the show for France as he continued to show that he can play in a midfield two, contrary to popular belief.

    N’Golo Kante 8 – As industrious, energetic, and unassuming as ever. Kante provided the perfect foil to Pogba and helped his defence weather a few Uruguay storms.

    Kylian Mbappe 7 – Uruguay didn’t give him the chance to show off his famous pace, so he brought his other qualities to the fore in a skillful, trickery filled display that wound up the opposition.

    Antoine Griezmann 8 – Fortunate with his goal, but was a menacing presence throughout, and his free-kick delivery for Varane’s goal was inch-perfect.

    Corentin Tolisso 7 – The Bayern Munich man made sure banned Blaise Matuidi wasn’t missed on the left of France’s midfield, although whether he retains a starting place remains to be seen.

    Olivier Giroud 7 – Giroud is still looking for his first goal at this World Cup, but his impact as a focal point for France’s attack is immeasurable – as it was again on Friday.

    SUBSTITUTES

    Steven N’zonzi N/A – Came on for Tolisso to help France kill the game as they sat on a 2-0 lead.

    Ousmane Dembele N/A – His introduction for Mbappe was one of the most expensive substitutions ever, going by the two players’ respective transfer fees. But Dembele had little time to make an impact.

    Nabil Fekir N/A – Came on right at the end for the impressive Griezmann, with no chance to do anything of note.

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