Croatia will take on France in the World Cup final on Sunday.
The World Cup final is one which doesn’t need much hype, as the excitement is ingrained into all of us. That’s right, even the England and Belgium fans, who fell so short.
Those two will take on each other in the third place play-off, but the game on everybody’s lips is the World Cup final one day later.
Croatia and France booked their places in a final which nobody would have predicted. One thing we can predict though, is the drama which the game will provide.
France and Croatia will be determined to prove their worth to the world for different reasons, which always makes for a good affair.
This post will focus on the player battles we should be looking out for, if the nerves don’t get the better of you of course!
1. Mario Mandzukic vs. Raphael Varane
Mario Mandzukic has been pivotal to getting the Croats to the World Cup final. He shown immense aplomb to slot home past Jordan Pickford in extra time of the semifinals.
However, what stands out the most about Mandzukic is his frightening physical presence. He is a modern day target man, having shown it on the world’s biggest stage.
He loves to battle with defenders for aerial duels, and this ties in perfectly with his unmatched heading ability.
However, he may be restricted in the World Cup final. He will come up against Raphael Varane, the French defender with a similarly frightening demeanor.
Varane is only slightly taller than Mandzukic, so if balls are swung into the box, it will be interesting to see who gets the better in these situations.
Both players play at a high level, so this final won’t affect them too much. However, the big stage is known to get the better of some players, and it could even have detrimental impact on their career.
Let’s hope this battle is full of drama, and doesn’t disappoint.