France manager Didier Deschamps made the brutal call to hook both Ousmane Dembele and Olivier Giroud after 41 minutes in a nightmare first half.
The defending world champions looked a shell of themselves in the opening 45 minutes as Argentina looked hungrier and more energetic across the park.
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Giroud, who had broken Thierry Henry’s record as France’s all-time top goalscorer in the Round of 16, did his utmost to press the Argentinians but he was not receiving much help from his teammates.
However, Dembele struggled significantly more than his fellow forward.
The Barcelona winger started on the right wing as he has done throughout the tournament.
But with Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni naming Angel Di Maria on the left wing instead of his normal spot on the right, it meant Dembele faced a new challenge in Qatar.
Unfortunately, Dembele struggled against the Juventus winger who continually found time and space on the left flank, as France right back Jules Kounde was left constantly exposed.
Dembele then made the ultimate mistake when he allowed Di Maria to cut inside and drive into the box as the French star clumsily sent his opposite number tumbling to the ground.
The mistake allowed Lionel Messi to open the scoring from the spot, leaving Dembele to rue his costly error.
Speaking on ITV during the half-time break, former England defender Gary Neville tore Dembele to pieces in a scathing analysis.
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“It was pathetic from Dembele,” Neville said.
“But well done to Scaloni for selecting Di Maria. It has stretched Kounde and it has stretched the French team. Mac Allister has then been in that little pocket and France haven’t been able to come to terms with it. Messi has been a little bit to the right-hand side.
“I know Dembele is a wide player, but you know what Di Maria’s going to do. He’s been doing it for 10 years, faking to cross and coming inside. It’s embarrassing. It’s a soft penalty, but there’s stupidity where you deserve to get found out. Dembele gets found out.
“It’s the one where you leave your leg behind to get clipped but Dembele gets played like a little boy.”
Fellow former English international Stuart Peace was equally critical of Dembele’s performance.
“Dembele is having the worst game I’ve ever seen anyone have,” Peace told talkSPORT.
“He’s given the penalty away and has probably given away every pass that he’s had after that.”
Di Maria would go on to add a second in the 36th minute, although there was little Dembele could have done to prevent it.
Eventually Deschamps had seen enough and decided to substitute the pair off in the 41st minute, with Randal Kolo Muani and Marcus Thuram coming on in their place.
