When will the drama stop at this World Cup? Not that I’m complaining but I’m not sure if my mind can take any more of this! Yesterday we saw Holland leave it exceptionally late to snatch the game right from under Mexico’s nose before witnessing a great clash, eventually decided by the excellent Keylor Navas in the penalty shootout, between Costa Rica and Greece! Read on to find our thoughts on today’s first clash – France vs Nigeria!
Both sides began the game playing to a very high intensity, making for a very end-to-end opening 10 minutes which France just about edged. Whereas most of the Nigerians’ play was focussed on work down the flanks with the wingers either cutting in to find space or putting a cross in, the French were equally competent in that regard but also happy to build play through the middle as Valbuena, Matuidi and Pogba in particular pulled the strings early on.
Both sides had half-chances in the opening 20 minutes but couldn’t convert them. Nigeria actually had the ball in the back of the net less than half way through the first period as Musa, who had made a right nuisance of himself again in this match, put a diagonal ball into the box towards Emenike who tapped in from close range only for the flag to be raised for offside. It was exceptionally close but it probably was the right decision.
France were doing pretty well in this first half but were yet to come up with anything like the opportunity that Nigeria had just had ruled out; Paul Pogba soon changed that. Winning the ball in his own half, the Juventus midfielder powered through the middle of the field before feeding Valbuena who was running down the right flank. The Marseille midfielder crossed the ball back into the box towards Pogba who raised his leg to connect with a Zidane-eqsue volley but Enyeama made a stunning save between the sticks for Nigeria to keep France out.
Whilst the conditions weren’t quite as vicious as they were in Fortaleza yesterday for Holland’s clash with Mexico, it was inevitable that the blistering pace that these two powerful sides were setting in this half wouldn’t be possible to keep up and so as a result the action tailed off a bit and soon became a battle between the two sides in the middle third of the pitch. Pogba was at the forefront of everything France were doing in the first half but as the half tailed off, so did his effectiveness. He was tireless as ever but not much was coming off for him in the latter stages of the first half.
The second period started in the same manner that the first finished in as both sides were restricting each other to containing their play to the middle of the pitch. A long injury delay for Nigeria coupled with Varane taking a whack on the head and needing a spell of time to collect himself meant that it took 15 minutes for the second half to gain any sort of excitement value. Karim Benzema hadn’t really had any influence on the game up to the hour mark as he was forced to occupy wide positions with Giroud taking up a central role; Deschamps changed this after 60 minutes bringing on Antoine Greizmann for Giroud and moving Benzema to the middle.
It took a few minutes but France soon broke Nigeria’s dominance and had a great chance of their own. Benzema picked up the ball about thirty yards away from goal before playing a lovely little give-and-go on the edge of the box with Greizmann who cutely flicked his return pass between two defenders for Benzema to run onto where he found himself one-on-one with Victor Enyeama. The keeper made a great save, getting to Benzema’s low effort but the ball bounced awkwardly and ended up looping over the Nigerian keeper towards the goal-line only for Victor Moses, who had come all the way back from an attacking position, to clear the ball before it crossed the line. France’s best move of the match up to that point by far!
This was the start of a dominant spell by France who, with 15 minutes to go, created two great chances to take the lead. An apparently over-hit corner from Valbuena landed perfectly at the feet of Karim Benzema way beyond the far post before he made an angle for himself to shoot but his effort was cleared by the defence at the far post but only as far as Yohan Cabaye who launched a short straight back at the goal but could only strike the woodwork. France then had another great chance through Benzema again, who looked like a different animal after the substitution of Giroud before they won another corner. Enyeama, making his first mistake of the match, came out to meet the corner but could only flick it on to Paul Pogba who was waiting to nod the ball into the empty net.
Nigeria were now seemingly France’s for the taking as Greizmann was played in by a wonderful diagonal ball and found himself in loads of space but couldn’t beat the mostly brilliant Enyeama in the Nigerian goal. Despite constant pressure it didn’t look like the French would be able to double their advantage until the moment finally came in injury time for the substitute Antoine Greizmann to help grab the goal. Valbuena powered a low cross in after Benzema played a free-kick short from the corner of the pitch. Greizmann then ran into the box and forced Yobo and Enyeama to come and deal with him, only for Yobo to flick the ball into the net for the own goal and seal France’s victory.
In the next round France could meet the Germans or the Algerians on Friday! Be sure to check in with us at Fortitude for that one!