INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
21:24 IST: FRANCE beat ARGENTINA 4-3 to enter World Cup quarter-finals21:22 IST: GOAL!! Sergio Aguero finds the net
ARGENTINA 3-4 FRANCE.21:19 IST: 4 minutes of added time.21:18 IST: France hero Mbappe has been substituted for Thauvin
A loud cheer for the youngster
What a performance from him tonight.Standing ovation for him from the fans at Kazan Arena.21:17 IST: Four minutes to go
Argentina will have to do something exceptional.21:14 IST: Chance for Argentina
Aguero runs with the ball but fails to hit a goal
21:13 IST: Mbappe's style21:11 IST: Mbappe becomes the sixth teenager to score more than once at a World Cup: Pele (6, Brazil), Edmund
Conen (4, Germany), Manuel Rosas (2, Mexico), Jose Altafini (2, Brazil) and Michael Owen (2, England).21:08 IST: Kazan witnessing an amazing
clash today!!21:04 IST: Tolisso comes off the bench to replace Matuidi for France.21:02 IST: Mbappe - the star for France tonight.20:57 IST:
France take 4-2 lead against Argentina.20:56 IST: Kun Aguero comes off the bench to replace Perez for Argentina.20:53 IST: GOAL!!!!!!!!!
Mbappe scores!! What a celebration
France lead Argentina 3-2
What a match.20:51 IST: What a celebration:20:46 IST: GOAL!!!!!!!! Benjamin Pavard scores as France equalise 2-2 against Argentina.20:45
IST: Grizmann nearly scored another goal for France
Superb defending by Argentina.20:42 IST: France have an upper hand20:39 IST: GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gabriel Mercado scores as Argentina take 2-1
Messi strikes from inside the area and the rest done by Mercado.20:35 IST: The action resumes at Kazan ArenaArgentina make 1 change as
Federico Fazio replaces Marcos Rojo.France make no changes20:18 IST: HALF-TIME: Argentina and France locked 1-1 at half-time at Kazan
Arena20:11 IST: GOAL!!!! Angel Di Maria scores as Argentina equalise 1-1 in 41st minute
a brilliant France's defence.20:03 IST: Mbappe is on fire today20:01 IST: Good run from Pogba in the middle
He passes the ball to Mbappe
Mbappe fails to do the rest
Good defending by Argentina.19:59 IST: Kante hits the ball hard but Argentina's goalkeeper Armani collects it comfortably.19:55 IST:
Mascherano runs with the ball
France goalkeeper Lloris dives and grabs the ball
Superb work from him.19:54 IST: Kylian Mbappe is giving the Argentinian defence nightmares
Brilliant work from him.19:52 IST: Pogba fails to covert the free kick into a goal
FRANCE 1-0 ARGENTINA19:51 IST: Pogba to take the free kick
Danger looming for Argentina here.19:50 IST: Free kick for France.19:49 IST: YELLOW CARD: Argentina's Tagliafico is booked by the
referee.19:46 IST: Griezmann - the hero.19:44 IST: GOAL!! Griezmann scores as France take 1-0 lead against Argentina.19:43 IST: YELLOW CARD!
Argentina's Marcos Rojo is booked by the referee.19:40 IST: Griezmann strikes the crossbar from the free-kick! Argentina survives.19:38
IST: Free kick for France in the 8th minute in the dangerous position19:36 IST: Di Maria runs with the ball but fails to capitalise on the
chance.19:35 IST: Free kick for Argentina
Brilliant defending by France.19:30 IST: All eyes on Lionel Messi
Here we go..19:27 IST: Players are exchanging handshakes.19:25 IST:The wait is over! Both teams - France and Argentina - are in the middle
It is jam-packed at Kazan Arena
What an atmosphere.19:14 IST: On the other hand, Portugal football star Cristiano Ronaldo has spent 424 minutes in the knockout stages
without a goal too.19:11 IST: Despite having 666 minutes of World Cup knockout football to his name, LIONEL MESSI is yet to register a goal
outside of the group stages
Can he do it today19:07 IST:France (4-2-3-1)Hugo Lloris (capt); Benjamin Pavard, Raphael Varane, Samuel Umtiti, Lucas Hernandez; Paul Pogba,
N'Golo Kante; Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann, Blaise Matuidi; Olivier GiroudCoach: Didier Deschamps (FRA)Argentina (4-3-3)Franco Armani;
Gabriel Mercado, Nicolas Otamendi, Marcos Rojo, Nicolas Tagliafico; Enzo Perez, Javier Mascherano, Ever Banega; Cristian Pavon, Lionel Messi
(capt), Angel Di MariaCoach: Jorge Sampaoli (ARG)Referee: Alireza Faghani (IRI)19:00 IST: The teams are ready.18:42 IST: The teams have
arrived at Kazan Arena.18:29 IST: France are ready for the high-octane clash against the 2014 runners-up.18:27 IST: All eyes on Lionel Messi
Can he take Argentina into quarter-finals today18:25 IST: The starting 11 of Argentina and France have been announced17:53 IST: Football
that's why it is called - Beautiful Game.17:51 IST: Who will progress to the quarter-finals - ARGENTINA or FRANCE17:50 IST: The
mouth-watering clash between Argentina and France few moments away.17:44 IST: Hello and welcome to the Live updates of FIFA World Cup 2018
Round of 16 match between France and Argentina.Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud will spearhead France's attack in their last-16 World Cup
match against Argentina as Didier Deschamps made six changes from the line-up he fielded in the final group match
France reached the quarter-finals in Brazil four years ago but Deschamps is under pressure to take his star-studded side further in Russia,
with former teammate and ex-Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane cited as a potential replacement
Deschamps opted to deploy the same team in Kazan that eked out a precious 1-0 win over Peru in the group stages
Barcelona midfielder Ousmane Dembele starts on the bench, with Deschamps opting to line up Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe,
Atletico Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann and Juventus player Blaise Matuidi behind Giroud
Chelsea's N'Golo Kante retains the midfield holding role alongside Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba.Five-time world player of the
year Lionel Messi will spearhead Argentina, who reached the final in 2014, after they squeezed into the knockout phase courtesy of a late
winner from Marcos Rojo against Nigeria
In his only change from the side that snatched the crucial 2-1 win over Nigeria, in which Messi scored the opener, Argentina coach Jorge
Sampaoli opted to leave Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain on the bench in favour of Boca Juniors' Cristian Pavon.Starting line-ups for the
World Cup last-16 match between Argentina and France at Kazan Arena on Saturday (kick-off 1400 GMT)France (4-2-3-1)Hugo Lloris (capt);
Benjamin Pavard, Raphael Varane, Samuel Umtiti, Lucas Hernandez; Paul Pogba, N'Golo Kante; Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann, Blaise Matuidi;
Olivier GiroudCoach: Didier Deschamps (FRA)Argentina (4-3-3)Franco Armani; Gabriel Mercado, Nicolas Otamendi, Marcos Rojo, Nicolas
Tagliafico; Enzo Perez, Javier Mascherano, Ever Banega; Cristian Pavon, Lionel Messi (capt), Angel Di MariaCoach: Jorge Sampaoli
(ARG)Referee: Alireza Faghani (IRI)The Argentine defence have also let the team down and had committed several glaring errors, specially
against Iceland and Croatia
The poor form of the veteran Javier Mascherano must be giving sleepless nights to Sampaoli
As a team, Argentina will have to do much better against France, who have, on paper at least, one of the most talented squads at this World
Cup.France have not fared any better
Placed in a relatively easy group, they struggled to beat Australia and Peru by narrow margins before being held to a goalless stalemate by
They will face their first big test against Argentina
Thanks to a profusion of African origin players in their squad, France have pace and power in attack
If N'golo Kante, Blaise Matuidi and Paul Pogba manage to impose themselves in the midfield, then things will get extremely tough for
Argentina.France coach Didier Deschamps however, feels that Messi could prove to be the desicive factor
Just you have to look at his statistics: 65 goals in 127 appearances with his national team
The intention is to neutralize him," the 1998 World Cup winning captain said
"We do not have a specific plan for him
A 'plan' is a big word, the idea is to limit his influence," the 49-year-old added.
