France vs Argentina – Can either side strike the right balance on Saturday?

Despite being overwhelmed with world class attackers, neither France nor Argentina have managed to strike the right balance at the 2018 World Cup. This isn’t a new problem for either country, but one Didier Deschamps and Jorge Sampaoli have failed to resolve in the months leading up to this summer’s major tournament.

Dimitri Payet’s injury on the eve of the World Cup has made things even more difficult for Deschamps. Without a recognised option on the left flank, France tested Thomas Lemar, Blaise Matuidi and Ousmane Dembele out wide during the group stage but all three flattered to deceive.

Deschamps would have hoped to stumble across his best system and personnel during the opening three games but that simply hasn’t happened and Les Bleus will go into Saturday’s mouth-watering clash with Argentina knowing less than they did before the tournament started.

N’Golo Kante has impressed in central midfield, picking up the WhoScored Man of the Match in two of France’s three group games. Paul Pogba has also played well in patches, but Deschamps is yet to find a system that allows the Manchester United midfielder and Antoine Griezmann to flourish simultaneously.

Griezmann’s best performances have usually come when he is played alongside a striker that can hold up the ball and bring others into play. Diego Costa carries out that role brilliantly for Atletico Madrid, while Olivier Giroud is tasked with the same job for France. Unfortunately, Griezmann simply isn’t playing well and it’s telling that Deschamps has hauled him off in all three matches thus far.

Team news and odds in our match preview

While France have struggled for fluidity in attack, at least Deschamps’ side do not have the same issues as their opponents on Saturday. The 2018 World Cup has been a shambles for Argentina and they required a stunning late winner from centre-back Marcos Rojo in their final group game to avoid a humiliating early exit.

Despite boasting players like Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero and Angel Di Maria, Argentina are still entirely dependent on Lionel Messi carrying them through another major tournament. The Barcelona star has got Argentina to finals in the past but this summer looks a step too far for the 31-year-old. After missing a penalty in Argentina’s first match, you could see the relief pour from his face after netting a goal of the tournament contender two games later against Nigeria.

Jorge Sampaoli has reportedly relinquished control of the team to senior players in the Argentina dressing room, which does not sound like a winning formula in a major tournament, particularly as it means persisting with an erratic Javier Mascherano. Argentina’s defence still looks haphazard, while their midfield is slow and only piles more pressure on the likes of Nicolas Otamendi and Rojo.

Saturday’s clash between France and Argentina will kickstart the round of 16 matches at the 2018 World Cup and on paper it is a match fitting for the final. However, the reality of it is that neither team are playing well and their managers have done nothing to solve the problems that have been clear to see for some time.