World Cup 2018: 3 key battles that decided the game - France 4-3 Argentina

2018 FIFA World Cup Round of 16: France 4 - 3 Argentina
After a shaky group stage, France have finally roared in the tournament

#3 Kylian Mbappe vs Marcos Rojo

TOPSHOT-FBL-WC-2018-MATCH50-FRA-ARG
The more impactful 10 on the pitch

The one that really decided the entire game. It was up to Rojo to put a stop to Mbappe's pace on the ball, and it is safe to say that last game's saviour couldn't do much saving this time around.

Every time Mbappe touched the ball, he was a danger to the Argentine defense - and that is no exaggeration. It was he who set up the first goal - a dizzying run from his own half to the Argentine box, before Rojo tripped him for a clear penalty.

That was just a sign of things to come. The second half saw the withdrawal of Rojo - who had received a yellow card for fouling Mbappe a second time, and probably as an insurance against a second yellow card - and in his place came Fazio, to shoulder the job of not catching Mbappe.

Two blitzkrieg runs into the box, two goals and two team hurdles later, Mbappe had the last laugh. To imagine that he is just 19 and already has 3 WC goals to his name is at times hard to believe. But that is the glorious truth. The future of French football is in safe, at the very least, extremely fast - hands.

Quick Links