It’s finally here! ESPN’s Battle of Tournaments, presented by EA Sports FIFA 22, starting with eight teams, an all-star selection representing some of the best leagues in the world, and we’re down to the final two. French Ligue 1, the defending champion since 2020 and superbly coached by Julien Laurens, goes up against Mark Ogden and the Englishman Premier League.
Not only is it the home of two of the greatest players ever – with Lionel Messi joining Paris Saint-Germain and Cristiano Ronaldo returning to Manchester United – but both of these are in unfinished business. when Ligue 1 eliminated the Premier League in the last semi-final. competition season. Revenge is in the air, friends. But will Mark Ogden get it?
They fought, fought, and tried to overcome the competition, defeating all that stood in their way, and it all started with this. Who is the winner and honored to be the champion in 2021?
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You can See the rules and regulations of the tournament here, then check below for team picks, tactics, and pre-start chats before checking out match highlights and real-time manager reactions.
Move in: Final: Ligue 1 vs. Premier League | Results & match statistics
– Live stream the full highlights of each game on ESPN FC’s YouTube channel
FINAL LIFE
LARGE 1 compare to PREMIER LEAGUE
THE ROAD TO THE END
Ligue 1
The defending champions have deserved that status in the league this season, marching back to the finals in earnest. After victories in the first two matches of Group A against LaLiga and Major League Soccer, both by two goals, manager Laurens was able to safely rotate his squad for the Bundesliga match knowing that his team was he qualified to the semi-finals. as group winners. A 1-0 win over Serie A thanks to Wissam Ben Yedder’s third goal of the tournament, was enough for Ligue 1 to continue its quest for a second consecutive title.
Premier League
Premier League boss Ogden boasted before the tournament that his squad had the greatest depth of attacking talent, and as such they proved to be highly accomplished in the final. His side racked up a thrilling six goals against Serie A in their Group B opener, and despite a shock defeat to the Eredivisie, a Harry Kane hat-trick sealed a win over Liga MX and advanced into the last four teams thanks to goal difference at the top of a very tight group. Win the Bundesliga semi-final with three missed penalties, but Kane scored the winner in sixth place in the league to help set up the final against Ligue 1.
SUMMARY BEFORE MANAGEMENT
Julien Laurens (Ligue 1)
“We start. This is the final of the Battle of the Leagues and the only one that matters. We have experience from last year where we beat the Bundesliga to lift the trophy. This time it was a game. very different contrast.
“The Premier League is not a collective, it’s a collection of individuals. Their manager, Mark Ogden, is useless but has been very fortunate so far to have some of his big stars bail. him many times with personal excellence.To beat them we need to take the game away from them, keep the ball, play fast forward and high intensity so they can’t have the stars shining. .
“I’m really confident that we can deliver and bring the trophy back to Ligue 1 in our second year running. Retaining the title is our goal. For this match I will keep the same starting XI. match against Serie A in the semi-final with Kylian Mbappe starting ahead of Lionel Messi up front with Neymar and Wissam Ben Yedder Mbappe has been fantastic against Serie A, and he’s going to hurt the Premier League defence. 4-3-3 has worked very well for me, so I’ll keep it again. Allez!“
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Mark Ogden (Premier League)
“I have decided to stick with the 4-2-3-1 formation as a result of the winning performances of [N’Golo] Kante and [Kalvin] Phillips in the semi-final against the Bundesliga. Both provide protection against defence, but also provide springboard for forward attacks.
“With Ronaldo still recovering from injury, the best he can do is get a spot on the bench, but I still have [Harry] Kane, [Mohamed] Salah and [Kevin] De Bruyne to score. And by starting Kai Havertz, I learned a little bit about the X-factor, with the German midfielder showing in last season’s Champions League final (in fact) that he can become a player. big on a big occasion. “
TEAM & STRATEGY
French Ligue 1: 4-3-3 (with organized midfield), quick build (offensive), move back / allow opponents to hold the ball (defensive)
First XI: Anthony Lopes; Hamari Traore, Marquinhos, Jason Denayer, Hassane Kamara; Houssem Aouar, Benjamin Andre, Renato Sanches; Kylian Mbappe, Wissam Ben Yedder, Neymar
Alternative products: Pau Lopez, Youcef Atal, Lionel Messi, Gelson Martins, Boubacar Kamara, Tiago Djalo, Andy Delort
English Premier League: 4-2-3-1, quick build (attack), hit after losing the ball (defensive)
First XI: Edouard Mendy; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ruben Dias, Virgil van Dijk, Luke Shaw; N’Golo Kante, Kalvin Phillips; Mohamed Salah, Kai Havertz, Kevin De Bruyne; Harry Kane
Alternative products: Ederson, Kurt Zouma, Bruno Fernandes, Christian Pulisic, Sadio Mane, Michail Antonio, Cristiano Ronaldo
MATCH
– Stream the full finale highlights on ESPN FC’s YouTube channel
1:00
Julien Laurens’ excitement overflowed as Neymar put Ligue 1 ahead of the Premier League in the Battle of the Leagues final.
1:42
Harry Kane scored late to help the Premier League equalize 1-1 with Ligue 1 just minutes after Bruno Fernandes missed the penalty.
1:26
Julien Laurens could not hide her disappointment when Lionel Messi repeatedly caused trouble in the Ligue 1 final vs. Premier League.
*** PREMIER LEAGUE WIN THE BATTLE OF ESPN’s LEAGUES, PRESENTED BY EA SPORTS FIFA 22 ***
FINAL RESULT
Ligue 1 1-2 Premier League (after extra time)
Neymar 25′
Kane 90′, Fernandes 120′ (missed penalty: Fernandes 86′)
RESPONSE TO POST
Mark Ogden (Premier League)
“Actually, quite a surprise win. I thought I would be the last to win it given my experience as a gamer, but obviously the Premier League team made it easier for me to race through. I had a few ups and downs, lost a group game but you know, at the end of the day, the last minute winner in extra time is the best way to win, right?
“I think [the doubters] Feeling pretty humbled now, doesn’t it, now that I’ve won the tournament? I’m the silent man of this competition, and I let my actions speak for me, I let my team speak for me…nothing nonsense I’ve received from Juls from start to finish. It’s like playing against Jose Mourinho is a bit too loud sometimes, but it’s all about winning, isn’t it? It’s all about getting it done on the pitch, or on the screen, and that’s what we did. “
Julien Laurens (Ligue 1)
“I’m very disappointed to lose that way against a team that really showed nothing from start to finish. They were very lucky to score in extra time. [at the end of the 90 minutes] and then again at the end of extra time. Other than that, I think we are the better team by far. Mendy made some incredible saves to keep them on the game, and that’s football. But I’m really proud of the boys, the way we played after winning last year to reach the final again, it was a great experience, especially for the players. young, and we will go again next year.
“We all know the only reason the Premier League wins this league is because of the quality they have on the pitch, the players, the depth of talent – it has nothing to do with the manager. [the entire time] and I think my mom will win that team, let alone Ogden. We all know Ogden’s story, and it’s because he needs help that he’s still working. Very good for Harry Kane, because that goal is really the difference there. “
Group A
Bundesliga 1-1 Major League Soccer
Ligue 1 2-0 LaLiga
Group B
Premier League 4-2 Serie A
Liga MX 1-2 Eredivisie
Group A
Bundesliga 1-1 LaLiga
Ligue 1 3-1 Major League Soccer
Group B
Liga MX 0-1 Serie A
Premier League 1-2 Eredivisie
Group A
Bundesliga 2-1 Ligue 1
Professional Football League 0-2 LaLiga
Group B
Serie A 3-1 Eredivisie
Premier League 3-1 Liga MX
Ligue 1 1-0 Serie A
Premier League 3-2 (AET) Bundesliga
FINAL GRAND
Ligue 1 1-2 (AET) Premier League
