Deschamps holds golden ticket but faces tough double for France glory | Barney Ronay

Manager’s side have seemingly never been allowed to hunt for victory rather than push for it, but that may have to change

Advantage France. On a cool summer’s day in Nizhny Novgorod, jewel of the upper Volga, Russia 2018 turned a slight but significant shade of blue.

There are different ways of announcing yourself as the most likely winners of a World Cup. With nine days to go before the house lights come up the ideal outcome for Didier Deschamps’ France would have been a loosening of the throttle, a moment for those delicious attacking talents to click together and illuminate the late stages.

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