Moscow: France dominated Croatia 4-1 to win their second-ever World Cup at the Luzhniki Stadium. Coach Didier Deschamps became the third person to win the Cup as a player and as a coach. Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe fired stunning goals in the second-half to seal the match for France. Croatia pressed hard in the midfield but failed to create meaningful chances in the final third. Croatia held majority of the possession in the first-half but conceded goals off set-pieces as Mandzukic scored an own goal, first in a World Cup final, and Ivan Perisic gifted France to take the lead with a penalty in the 38th minute. What a remarkable end to the 2018 World Cup.
Here are the match highlights from the Luzhniki Stadium:
France win their second-ever FIFA World Cup!!!!
CHAMPIONS DU MONNNNNNNNNNNDE #FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/ouMN5PkMJl
— Equipe de France (@equipedefrance) July 15, 2018
France 4-2 Croatia!!!
Full-time!!
90+2 minute: Yellow card! Croatia’s Sime Vrsaljko gets booked for foul on Greizmann.
5 minutes of Stoppage time!!
Interestingly, this is the first time since 1958 that there have been six goals at regular time in a final at the World Cup.
89 minute: Croatia’s Rakitic fires a ball from long range but clouds the ball away from the goal.
87 minute: France’s Nabil Fekir attempts a shot from distance but hits directly into the hands of the goalkeeper. Croatia are running out of time here.
5 minutes to go!!!
80 minute: Croatia are pushing hard to get back into the match but they need a miracle here.
79 minute: France’s Mbappe sprints into the Croatian box and threatened to score again but slipped on the edge. That was close.
Teenagers to score in a #WorldCupFinal
Pele
Kylian MbappeThat is all. pic.twitter.com/Cy3RvGOoV7
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 15, 2018
73 minute: Substitution for France. Matuidi is replaced by Tolisso
71 minute: Substitution for Croatia. A. Kramaric is in for A. Rebic.
France 4-2 Croatia!!!
69 minute: GOAL!!! Mandzukic scores off a horrible error by goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
France 4-1 Croatia!!
65th minute: GOAL!!! Mbappe fires into the bottom left corner. France take an unassailable lead here.
France 3-1 Croatia!!
59 minute: GOAL!!!! Pogba fires a shot from distance and scores France’s third goal.
58 minute: Croatia’s Perisic picks up a pass on the left-flank but fails to find a teammate with his cross.
54 minute: Substitution for France, Steven N’Zonzi replaces N’Golo Kante.
52 minute: Kylian Mbappe makes a stunning run into the Croatian box but Danijel Subasic charges into the clear the ball to safety.
48 minute: SAVE!! France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris makes a brilliant save to deny Croatia with an equaliser. That was close.
47 minute: France’s Antoine Griezmann attempts a shot from distance but hits the ball directly into the hands of the goalkeeper Danijel Subasic.
Second-half is underway!
Fun-Facts
Key stats:
We’ve not had a #WorldCupFinal with three goals in the first half since 1974
It’s the first #WorldCupFinal with three goals since 1998
So yeah, goals! #FRACRO // #WorldCupFinal pic.twitter.com/DBfXIJQfSR
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 15, 2018
France 2-1 Croatia!!
Half-time!!
3 minutes of Stoppage time!!
43 minute: Corner for Croatia. Rakitic whips the ball in but Olivier Giroud clears the ball away.
France 2-1 Croatia!!
Advantage #FRA #FRACRO // #WorldCupFinal pic.twitter.com/nxL8Z4V77L
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 15, 2018
38 minute: GOAL!! Antoine Griezmann scores off the penalty. France take the lead.
36 minute: PENALTY!! Perisic concedes a penalty with a handball and the referee checks with the VAR and award France a penalty.
What a response from @HNS_CFF!#FRACRO // #WorldCupFinal pic.twitter.com/gNb9RWabfb
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 15, 2018
Croatia’s Ivan Perisic has now scored six goals in his last 12 International games.
France 1-1 Croatia!!
28 minute: GOAL!!! Perisic picks up a pass inside the box and fires the ball into the bottom corner. Croatia equalise.
How are you feeling, #FRA fans? #FRACRO // #WorldCupFinal pic.twitter.com/gxjyW2Sz1I
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 15, 2018
24 minute: Croatia are pressing hard as they try to create space in the final third. What a match this is turning out to be.
Croatia’s Mandzukic’s goal is the first own goal at a World Cup final.
France 1-0 Croatia!!!
18 minute: Free-kick to France at a promising position. GOAL!! Antoine Griezmann curls the ball in the middle and Mario Mandzukic concedes an own goal.
15 minute: Perisic sprints into the France penalty box but fails to find a teammate with his cross as Samuel Umtiti makes a timely clearance.
11 minute: Croatia’s Strinic chips a through-ball to Perisic, who fails to hold on to the ball. That was close.
8 minute: Corner for Croatia. Modric whips the ball in but Olivier Giroud heads the ball away from danger.
Interestingly, Kylian Mbappe was not even born when France won their first and only World Cup in 1998.
5 minute: Croatia’s Sime Vrsaljko sprints into the far corner but his cross is cleared to safety by Raphael Varane.
Kick-off!
Here’s how we line up at Luzhniki Stadium… #FRACRO // #WorldCupFinal pic.twitter.com/20kddt07hU
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 15, 2018
Lineups
France XI: Lloris; Pavard, Varane, Umtiti, Hernandez; Kante, Pogba; Mbappe, Griezmann, Matuidi; Giroud
Croatia XI: Subasic; Vrsaljko, Lovren, Vida, Pivaric; Brozovic, Rakitic, Modric, Perisic, Rebic; Mandzukic.
France and Croatia have met only once in the tournament, where France got the better of Croatia (2-1) in the semi-final of the 1998 World Cup.
Croatian coach Zlatko Dalic will rely on star players like Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Ivan Perisic to come good against France’s Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe.
The last two first-time finalists went on to win the tournament, France 1998 and Spain 2010. Croatia, who appear in their first-ever World Cup final, will look to upset favourites France with history on their side.
Squads:
France:
Goalkeepers– Hugo Lloris, Steve Mandanda, Alphonse Areola.
Defenders– Raphael Varane, Samuel Umtiti, Adil Rami, Benjamin Pavard, Presnel Kimpembe, Bernard Mendy, Djibril Sidibe, Lucas Hernandez.
Midfielders– Blaise Matuidi, Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante, Thomas Lemar, Corentin Tolisso, Steven N’Zonzi.
Forwards– Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe, Nabil Fekir, Ousmane Dembele, Florian Thauvin.
Croatia:
Goalkeepers – Lovre Kalinic, Dominik Livakovic, Danijiel Subasic.
Defenders– Duje Caleta-Car, Vedran Corluka, Tin Jedvaj, Dejan Lovren, Josip Pivaric, Ivan Strinic, Domagoj Vida, Sime Vrsaljko.
Midfielders– Milan Badelj, Filip Bradaric, Marcelo Brozovic, Mateo Kovacic, Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic.
Forwards– Andrej Kramaric, Mario Mandzukic, Ivan Perisic, Marko Pjaca, Ante Rebic.
Source: Zee News