FrancebeatBelgiumtoadvancetoWorldCupFinal

FrancebeatBelgium1-0inthefirstsemi-finalofthe2018WorldCup,bookingtheirplaceinSunday’sfinalagainsteitherEnglandorCroatia.

DefenderSamuelUmtitiscoredtheonlygoalofthegameinthe51stminute,headinginAntoineGriezmann’scornerkicktosecureahard-foughtvictoryforLesBleus.

Belgiumdominatedthefirsthalf,withEdenHazardandRomeluLukakucausingproblemsfortheFrenchbackline,buttheyfailedtoconvertanyoftheirchancesandwerepunishedinthesecondhalf.

FrancewillnowbehopingtowintheirsecondWorldCup,havingwonthetournamentonhomesoilin1998.

Umtiti’sheadersealsFrenchvictory

SamuelUmtiti’stoweringheaderinthe51stminuteprovedtobethedifferencebetweenthetwosidesasFrancesecuredtheirpassagetotheWorldCupfinal.

Belgiumhaddominatedthefirsthalf,withchancesfallingtoEdenHazard,RomeluLukakuandAxelWitsel,buttheywereunabletofindawaypastHugoLlorisintheFrenchgoal.

FrancestartedthesecondhalfbrightlyandtooktheleadwhenUmtitileapthighesttomeetacornerkickfromAntoineGriezmann,plantinghisheaderpastThibautCourtoisintheBelgiumgoal.

LesBleusdefendedresolutelyintheclosingstages,withUmtiti,RaphaelVaraneandLucasHernandezallmakingcrucialinterventionstodenyBelgiumanequaliser.

Belgiumruemissedopportunities

Despitedominatingthefirsthalf,BelgiumwereunabletofindawaypastHugoLlorisintheFrenchgoal.

EdenHazardcameclosest,forcingasmartsavefromLloriswithacurlingeffortfromtheedgeofthebox,whileRomeluLukakuwasdeniedbytheFrenchgoalkeeperonacoupleofoccasions.

Belgiumcontinuedtopressinthesecondhalf,butFrancedefendedresolutelyandpreventedthemfromcreatinganyclear-cutchances.

TheRedDevilswillnowplayeitherEnglandorCroatiainthethird-placeplayoffonSaturday,butwillruethemissedopportunitiesthatcostthemaplaceintheWorldCupfinal.

FranceeyesecondWorldCuptitle

FrancewillnowbehopingtowintheirsecondWorldCup,havingwonthetournamentonhomesoilin1998.

DidierDeschamps’sidehavebeenimpressivethroughoutthetournament,winningfiveoftheirsixgamesandconcedingjustfourgoalsintheprocess.

Theirdefencehasbeenparticularlysolid,withSamuelUmtitiandRaphaelVaraneforminganexcellentpartnershipattheheartofthebackline.

Inattack,AntoineGriezmannandKylianMbappehaveshowntheirquality,withthelatterscoringtwiceinthe4-3winoverArgentinaintheroundof16.

LesBleuswillnowfaceeitherEnglandorCroatiainSunday’sfinal,withthewinnersettoliftthecovetedWorldCuptrophy.