by Paul Pogba compares Antoine Griezmann to N’Golo Kante after his French teammate’s stunning reinvention as a box-to-box midfielder at the World Cup… while insisting a second successive title is ‘near’ for his country after the semi-final conquer Morocco
Paul Pogba compared Antoine Griezmann to N’Golo Kante after the reinvented France midfielder covered every glass in their World Cup semi-final win against Morocco.
Griezmann has enjoyed something of a renaissance in Qatar this winter, playing a crucial role in France’s run to a second consecutive World Cup final – where he will join Lionel Messi – as he flourishes in a new box-to-box role.
The Atletico Madrid star, a famous second striker or forward before this tournament, was one of Les Bleus’ standout men after being remodeled into a deeper midfield position.
Paul Pogba confronted France teammates Antoine Griezmann (L) and N’Golo Kante (R)
Pogba made the comparison on Instagram following Griezmann’s superb performance against Morocco
While his attacking qualities are no secret, Griezmann has shown a different side to his game in the Middle East, often returning to France’s half to help counter opposition attacks and win the ball back for his side.
In Wednesday’s 2-0 semi-final win against Morocco he was exceptional; for a total of seven defensive contributions — two tackles, two interceptions, three clearances and a block — a stat that was bettered only by defensemen Jules Kounde and Ibrahima Konate on the night.
It was a remarkable reinvention for Griezmann in Qatar, and injured midfielder Pogba believes he is emulating their team-mate in France, Kante.
He wrote on Instagram: “Griezmannkante”.
The France star has flourished as an unlikely box-to-box midfielder at this year’s World Cup
He produced a man of the match performance against Morocco to help France reach another final
And Pogba believes Griezmann is emulating their dynamic teammate Kante in Qatar
The Juventus star also expressed his excitement at the prospect of back-to-back World Cup triumphs, writing: “It’s close.”
Pogba wasn’t the only one to compare Griezmann 2.0 to Chelsea’s energetic midfielder Kante, with Blues legend Didier Drogba even saying so while on duty for the BBC.
“Antoine Griezmann surprised me, but he has the intelligence and the quality to do it,” said Drogba. “He looks more like Kante than Griezmann!”
Alan Shearer was also impressed with Griezmann, saying: ‘He’s a super talent, a really smart player who reads the game very well. When you think about the players who have lost, he and Aurelien Tchouameni have been fantastic in defensive work.’
