- Italian coach drew up tactical blueprint
- Could be replicated in the present
- Argentina vs France in 2022 World Cup final
WHAT HAPPENED?The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, who is another Argentina playmaker to have cemented a reputation among the all-time greats, will be gracing the 2022 World Cup final on Sunday when the Albiceleste line up against France. Messi has dazzled in Qatar so far, registering a tournament-high five goals, with the 35-year-old showing no sign of slowing down as he remains a talismanic presence that leaves rivals struggling to counter the obvious threat that he poses.
WHAT THEY SAID: Sacchi faced similar problems when leading Milan into battle with Maradona’s Napoli in the 1980s and has told Gazzetta dello Sport of the approach that he took which could be mirrored by coaches in the present: “There were three ways. The first was to keep the ball, so Diego didn’t have it. The second was to press high, so Diego wouldn’t get the ball. Third, if Diego got the ball, we would face him as a unit. The same applies to Messi and [Kylian] Mbappe, two phenomenons.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: France forward Mbappe also has five goals to his name at the 2022 World Cup, having become a regular source of inspiration for Les Bleus, and will pose as many headaches to Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni as Didier Deschamps is facing with Messi.
IN THREE PHOTOS:
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GettyWHAT NEXT? Argentina and France will do battle for the right to be considered the best side on the planet at the Lusail Stadium, with the defending champions from 2018 looking to prevent Messi from bowing out of international football on the highest of highs.