World Cup 2018: Five Tactical Points that will decide the World Cup Final
The biggest game in football will take place in Moscow on Sunday. World Cup finals are usually not remembered for their high scoring nature: the last final to feature more than two goals was the 1998 World Cup final when France defeated Brazil 3-0. A Good Omen for the Les Blues? Perhaps
However, this doesn’t mean that World Cup finals aren’t entertaining: they are intense tactical battles where any small mistake can cost your team. The pressure is perhaps most on the managers: Zlatko Dalic and Didier Deschamps can make or break their careers with their tactics in the game. So what are some tactical factors that will decide the game?
#1 How Croatia handle Kylian Mbappe
Perhaps the most important storyline in the World Cup final will be the performance of Kylian Mbappe. The 19-year-old has been one of the best players in the tournament, announcing his arrival on the world stage. If Croatia cannot stop Mbappe in any meaningful manner, then they will have little hope of winning the tournament.
The problem for the Vatreni is that Mbappe is likely to match up with their weakest defensive player Ivan Strinic. It is a weakness that Croatia’s two previous opponents tried to exploit as Kieran Trippier and Mario Fernandes gave Strinic a horrible time on Croatia’s left. Among defenders who made the semi-finals, no player has been dribbled past on more occasions than Strinic. That combined with Mbappe’s dribbling (fifth in the tournament) is a lethal combination for Croatia.
Manager Zlatko Dalic will have to fix this in some way or the other. One way would be for defensive midfielder Marcelo Brozovic to cover on the left. However, Mbappe likes to stick to the touchline (as a right-footed right-winger) which would force Brozovic to come right to the flank. This might create space for Paul Pogba and Antoine Griezmann down the middle.
A wiser move might be to play another defensive midfielder in Milan Badelj. For this, Dalic would have to sacrifice the attacking quality of Ante Rebic but if it helps in stopping, then it will be worth it. While this would leave Croatia with one winger, who says formations need to be symmetrical?