Gary Neville blasts Ousmane Dembele after his 'PATHETIC' defending gifts Argentina a penalty

Gary Neville slammed Ousmane Dembele's 'pathetic' and 'embarrassing' defending after the French winger conceded a crucial penalty against Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday.

Angel di Maria chopped inside on the left flank midway through the first half, bypassing Dembele with ease, and charged into the box in an effort to open up the French defence.

Dembele clumsily clipped the ankles of the Argentina star and conceded a crucial spot-kick, which Lionel Messi netted before chalking up a 2-0 lead at half time.

During the break, Neville heavily criticised the 25-year-old naivety in conceding the penalty, insisting that Di Maria played him 'like a little boy'.

'It was pathetic,' he said.  'To be fair, Di Maria's position, his selection - well done to the Argentinian manager. Genius selection, it stretched Kounde and stretched that French team. Mac Allister has been in that pocket, Messi has played a little bit to the right hand side.

'But the penalty, I have to say, Dembele - I know he's a wide player - but honestly. What he does with this initial challenge, you know what Di Maria is going to do, he's been doing this for 10 years. It's embarrassing.

'And I'm torn on this one. One, I think it's a soft penalty to give you a goal at the World Cup, but also the stupidity of that when you get wrong-sided, you almost deserve to be found out and Dembele gets found out.

'He gives Di Maria the opportunity and it's the one that's been going on for years, kick the back of one leg and kick your own leg. He's looking for it, he's experienced, he knows what he's doing, but Dembele gets played like a little boy.'

Roy Keane added: 'I actually don't think it's a penalty but sometimes the defender's got to be punished for being so silly.'

Dembele was hooked off alongside Olivier Giroud towards the end of the first half by Didier Deschamps, as the French manager changed personnel in pursuit of an avenue back into the final.