Alan Shearer heaps praise on Antoine Griezmann after France’s World Cup semi-final win
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‘He was the man of the match for me’: Alan Shearer praises Antoine Griezmann after France’s 2-0 win over Morocco in the World Cup semi-final, while Rio Ferdinand calls him ‘the best defensive player in the world’ tournament’
Antoine Griezmann was at the center of praise from BBC pundits on Wednesday night after a sensational performance in France’s 2-0 win over a fearless Moroccan side in their World Cup semi-final.
The midfielder produced a brilliantly elusive run to set up France’s opening goal after just five minutes, and was a threat to the Atlas Lions all night as they continued to excel in a more combative role than they have often played.
Alan Shearer felt that Griezmann was the best player on the pitch, explaining: ‘He was the man of the match for me. You have to give credit to the way Didier Deschamps has used it.
Antoine Griezmann was a vital cog in France’s victory over Morocco in their World Cup semi-final
Alan Shearer called him ‘man of the match’ after his ‘fantastic’ defensive work in the 2-0 win
“He’s a super talent, a really smart player who reads the game very well. When you think about the players who have been missing, he and Aurelien Tchouameni were fantastic in defensive work.
Didier Drogba was also impressed by the changes Griezmann had made to play a deeper role, saying he “looked more like N’Golo Kante” but was still able to move like a true striker as “it’s like riding a bike! you never forget it!’
There was also praise for the 31-year-old from Rio Ferdinand, who called him “the best defensive player in the tournament” before adding: “We could show you great clips of him moving forward and creating things, but we can probably show you a lot of clips of his defense.”
Griezmann produced a wonderfully elusive run to set up Theo Hernández’s first goal
Rio Ferdinand called the midfielder ‘the best defensive player of the tournament’
It has been a remarkable tournament for Griezmann given his club’s peculiar situation, which has seen him play just 30 minutes in each game as Atlético Madrid seek to avoid activating a sell-out clause in his contract.
With their star midfielder pulling the strings behind an explosive front three, France will face Argentina in the final on Sunday.
It may be presented as a chance for Lionel Messi to confirm his status as the greatest player in history, but the game will also be a chance for the champions to become only the second team in history to win back-to-back World Cups.