In the end, it was a triumph of France’s savoir-faire, their ability to manage this type of occasion, to get the job done – even when below their best. Théo Hernandez scored early and Didier Deschamps could reflect on a fine defensive performance, particularly from Ibrahima Konaté, which would yield a first clean sheet of this World Cup for his team.
When Kylian Mbappé crackled to life inside the area late on, showing his twinkle toes and seeing a low shot deflect, there was the substitute Randal Kolo Muani to tap home. Antoine Griezmann was again excellent in midfield, a case study in composure amid the tumult, all easy balance and technique, his appreciation of everything around him a joy, and France remain on course to defend their title. The final against Argentina on Sunday promises to be a classic.
