France v Morocco: Semi Final - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022
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Almost there. It's amazing that for all the twists and turns of this World Cup, we're getting two of the three pre-tournament favorites duking it out in the final. Welcome to Saturday's Golazo Starting XI -- I'm Mike Goodman -- and today we've got even more analysis of the showdown. Oh, and also there's that third-place match going on as well.  

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⚽  The Forward Line

France's left side will make or break World Cup final

This is not your slightly older brother's France. When France won this title four years ago, they did it by attacking just enough while keeping the back line extremely tight. This time around, thanks to a string of injuries, they're playing a team that poses a deeper threat in attack. James Benge explains:

  • Benge: "For so much of this tournament, France's left flank has (rightly) been framed as their great strength, the avenue to goal where special adjustments are a necessity for the opposition. It is not just Kylian Mbappe but the devastating support he has behind him from Theo Hernandez, one of the sport's outstanding attacking full backs. As the tournament has worn on and the standard of opposition has risen, Didier Deschamps' great blessing has become something of a headache too. The great World Cup monkey paw has handed him two of the best attackers in the tournament but has given opposition a lane to goals of their own."

Can Argentina exploit that weakness? it's certainly going to be a difficult challenge for this France squad to overcome.

  • Benge: "Now comes the greatest test. It isn't just Messi, who drifts from a nominal center forward position out to the right half space, but the player that Lionel Scaloni's system provides him with on the outside. With Angel Di Maria battling for fitness, that is not always a natural winger but the Juventus man could be back in time."

Whether or not Di Maria is fit, it seems almost certain that the final will begin with both sides sticking to their strengths -- France attacking down their left and Argentina trying to take advantage of the space that leaves them. As the game wears on, it will be interesting to see what adjustments are made. If Di Maria can't start, he could still be a second-half replacement for Argentina. Late on against Morocco, Deschamps substituted Olivier Giroud so that Mbappe could move into the striker role and away from the wing since he wasn't tracking back to defend. Little decisions like that by the managers could make the difference if this match is close down the stretch.

Make sure you check out the rest of Benge's tactical breakdown, here.

🔗  Midfield Link Play

Don't sleep on Argentina's supporting cast

The fact that Messi is ever-present obscures the fact that Argentina have been completely remade over the past World Cup cycle, and it's a major reason for their success. There are only five holdovers total from 2018, and only two or three -- Messi, Nicolas Otamendi and Di Maria, if healthy -- will be on the field. France, despite all their injuries, have five starters intact from the team that knocked Argentina out of the World Cup in the quarterfinals four years ago. Roger Gonzalez looks at how all that turnover has helped the squad. 

  • Gonzalez: "Argentina rediscovered themselves. With all of the tournament heartaches over the years, a youthful core was brought in to compliment Messi, and it resulted in lifting the biggest weight of Messi's shoulders, winning hardware with his country for the first time. His team achieved that last year by beating Brazil in Brazil to claim the Copa America title. Now, this is all bonus with the ultimate attainable prize potentially 90 minutes away."

Perhaps the most unexpected outcome of the youth movement is how it has revitalized Messi. This is the best Messi has ever played in a World Cup, and it's impossible not to wonder about what the experience must be like for Messi to now be leading a team of players who feel pressured to perform for a teammate they grew up idolizing. The dynamic is no longer Messi feeling pressured to win for his country, although that obviously still exists, but Messi leading a team that is deeply motivated to win for him. Check out Gonzalez's full breakdown here. 

Now onto some links.

💰  The Back Line

Best bet

All odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.

  • Croatia vs. Morocco, Saturday, 10 a.m. ET
    💰 THE PICK: Over 2.5 goals (-110): It's the third-place match. Things get weird. It won't take much let off from either of these two defensive sides to turn what might have been a much nervier affair, like their 0-0 draw in the two sides opening matches of the tournament, into a more wide-open game. Have some fun out there kids. Make sure to follow SportsLine's best bet on this matchup.