ON the eve of this blockbuster last-16 match, full of storylines, France captain and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was asked to compare his compatriot Kylian Mbappe with Lionel Messi. Lloris noted that it was difficult to compare the teen sensation to the Argentina great but said Mbappe’s ‘explosive pace’ was his greatest asset. So it proved.

In an absolutely enthralling first knockout round match of this FIFA World Cup, Argentina had no answer to Mbappe’s searing speed and acceleration. The 4-3 scoreline here at the Kazan Arena on Saturday wasn’t a reflection how Mbappe and France blew them away in an utterly dominant performance in which Argentina only had a few moments.

The defeat potentially means Argentina talisman Lionel Messi will end his career without a World Cup. At 31, this tournament in Russia seemed his last crack at world glory.

After the match, as France players celebrated, Messi stood at the centre of the pitch, surrounded by his team-mates. There were tears from Argentina goalkeeper Franco Armani and Messi headed back into the dressing room with a stunned look on his face. Driving this Argentina team, with such a soft centre, to the World Cup was a task too much for him.

At least, their journey at the World Cup ended with a game that will be remembered for ages. This, the pick of the ties of the last-16 round, had everything: spectacular goals, end-to-end action, riveting drama and emotion. It was an action-packed game that swung from one side to the other, the momentum shifting with the brilliance of those on the pitch. Mbappe entered the pitch with a grin on his face, all others seemed to be having stage-fright and in a goal-fest, it was he who stood out.

After Antoine Griezmann’s penalty had given France the lead in the 13th minute, Argentina levelled courtesy a sublime strike from Angel Di Maria and took the lead in the early stages of the second-half after Gabriel Mercado deflected in Messi’s goalbound effort.

France, however, hit back with a sensational goal of their own courtesy Benjamin Pavard before Mbappe, who had been a source of constant torment for the France defence, added two goals. Substitute Sergio Aguero pulled one back for Argentina from Messi’s cross on the stroke of full-time.

Apart from the two goals set up by Messi, there was little involvement from him. Argentina kept looking up to him for inspiration but it never came. At his fourth World Cup, he hasn’t ever scored in the knockout round.

In an intense, frenetic start, France began well and for long stretches of the first half, their defence and midfield seemed at ease because of Argentina’s lack of incisiveness.

Messi was nowhere to be seen, lost in the blue of France’s tireless midfield runners — Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante and Blaise Matuidi — who limited space for him every time he got the ball. France’s front three were having no problem with Argentina’s high pressing and with Mbappe’s speed and movement, they looked the more threatening. It was only a matter of time before they scored.

Mbappe’s blistering pace saw him pick up the ball in his own half and he left three Argentine midfielders trailing in his wake before entering the box and taking on Marcos Rojo, whose late goal against Nigeria propelled Argentina to the last-16. Rojo, hero on that night in St Petersburg, was the villain here, wrestling down Mbappe to give France the penalty. Griezmann had hit the cross bar five minutes into the game with a free-kick 25 yards out. Beating Franco Armani from 12 yards out was no problem.

It was obvious Mbappe’s pace was becoming problematic for the Argentina. He won another free-kick right on the edge of the box, this time running onto a raking pass from Pogba, who blazed over the resulting free-kick. France were now giving Argentina more of the ball, looking to hit them on the counter with pace and precision passing. But just when they seemed to be heading into half-time with a lead, with a plan executed close to perfection, they were undone by a brilliant piece of skill.

Argentina got a throw-in in the France half, in a seemingly harmless position wide of the box. They were so occupied with closing the space down that side that they forgot Di Maria was lurking right at the centre. The pass found him and he took a touch with no one closing him down before launching a left-footed rocket that went past the despairing dive of Hugo Lloris and nestled itself in the corner of the goal.

That goal paved the way for another exhilarating 45 minutes, for more goals, more drama and more action. Argentina came out of the blocks with intent after the restart, Di Maria’s strike having lifted their morale after a difficult first half, and they turned the game on its head three minutes in. Di Maria won a free-kick on the left, which taken by Ever Banega, found Messi on the right. Messi swiveled to take the ball onto his left foot and his shot was deflected in by Mercado.

It was now a question of how this young France side would react. This was about character, about belief, about the will to win. And their response was emphatic. The leveller came from an unlikely source, right-back Pavard, but what a goal it was. Matuidi released Lucas Hernandez on the left and his cross evaded everyone, landing perfectly for Pavard who connected first-time with a delightful volley that gave Franco Armani no chance.

It was a goal that would reinstate belief in any side. And it showed. France and Mbappe ripped apart Argentina, regaining the lead in the 64th. Argentina couldn’t deal with Hernandez’s cross and after Matuidi’s shot had been blocked, Mbappe picked up the rebound, took a touch to the left and placed a shot underneath Armani. His second, four minutes later, killed off Argentina. Olivier Giroud saw him run past him to his right and put a perfectly-weighted pass for him to finish first time and cap a remarkable recovery for his side.

Mbappe left to a standing ovation before Argentina got a consolation when Aguero headed from close range after being found by Messi but even then the equaliser seemed to be beyond them. They had been well and truly blown away by Mbappe and France.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2018