Argentina will play either France or Morocco in Sunday’s final after a Lionel Messi masterclass blew Croatia away
Pre-match postbag. “What does Scaloni have against Lisandro Martinez? He’s mostly been excellent this World Cup, having spent the first half of the season turning Manchester United’s defence from a laughing stock into a semi-competent outfit. Yet he’s still on the fringes of the Argentina team and has been dropped tonight. I think Argentina will miss him if Croatia get on top” – Jon Collins
“I wonder if, with the benefit of hindsight, the defining duopoly of the last decade wasn’t Messi and Ronaldo, but Messi and Modric. I don’t say this to disparage the Portuguese, who’s practically the archetype of a great forward. However, the legends on show tonight were the first generation to come of age on the improved pitches of today, and when most footballers could be relied on having a good first touch. These two, each in their own way, found a brand new way to be a creative maestro, pinging passes around that before them would’ve been too risky” – Kári Tulinius
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