Inside the France-Spain matchups for must-see World Cup semifinal

ARLINGTON, Texas — The World Cup’s most compelling tactical matchup is here.All tournament long, France has looked like the best team.And all tournament long, Spain has grown into itself, looking more and more like the team that knocked off Les Bleus each of the past two years, first in the Euro 2024 semifinal, then in a UEFA Nations League semi last year.This time, the stakes couldn’t be bigger with a spot in the World Cup final on the line.The Post breaks down the World Cup semifinal between Spain and France.Didier Deschamps is surely the coach with more to consider in this matchup.

France, which has set up with four attackers throughout the tournament, now faces a team in Spain that figures to possess the ball more than it and whose three-man midfield of Dani Olmo, Pedri (or Fabián Ruiz) and Rodri will have a numerical advantage over Adrien Rabiot and Manu Koné (or Aurélien Tchouaméni).That could force Deschamps to consider adjusting the uber-aggressive 4-2-3-1 in which his team has set up all tournament, even midgame if need be.France’s two central midfielders, whoever it is that Deschamps picks, will have crucial roles to play.

Spain has been the best counter-pressing team in the World Cup, but its fullbacks, Pedro Porro and Marc Cucurella, both push high up the field and there is danger of leaving space in behind for Ousmane Dembélé or Désiré Doué on the counterattack.Line-breaking passes from Rabiot and Koné, and their decisiveness on the ball, will be critical in those moments.If France can solve that counterpress, it may change the very shape of the game in its favor.

Without significant ball possession, what does Spain look like and how might Luis de la Fuente adjust? When these teams met in the Nations League last year, France had 57 percent of the ball and the result was a far more open game than the Euro 2024 semifinal between them.Still, it ended in a 5-4 Spanish victory, as opposed to the 2-1 a summer before.France’s front four...