Final before final?France vs Belgium .Day 27

Posted on by Tendai Chisiri
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With the captivating 2018 Russia World Cup drawing  to an end on Sunday  , it looks the semi final between France and Belgium is the denouement  of the tournament although all the matches have  been intriguing and everyone is looking forward to the final.
By Tendai Chisiri
The two neighbours meet in the first semi-final on Tuesday in a game that has a very large Premier League presence. Everyone is  looking ahead to that showdown in St Petersburg, with the game to kick-off at 7pm BST.
Belgium will be banking on  Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard whilst Oliver Giroud, N’golo Kante  and Romelu Lukaku will be the France players to watch out for.
SOCCER: JUL 06 FIFA World Cup Quarterfinal - Uruguay v France
If his side fails against Belgium, Deschamps’ position as the national team coach could be under fire.

 

Both teams are the favorites to win World Cup. If Belgium wins in the semi- finals it would be their first World Cup final whilst France previously reached the final in 1998 and 2006.

Belgium’s golden generation has helped the Red Devils reach the World Cup semifinals for the first time in 32 years. And Belgium enters Tuesday’s Russia 2018 semifinal on a red-hot 24-game unbeaten streak. Belgium’s attack, which has already scored five goals in two knockout stage games, is led by star striker Romelu Lukaku, who has been directly involved in 20 goals in his last 13 appearances for Belgium, scoring 17 and providing three assists.

France last won the World Cup title in 1998, and this is their  first semifinal game for the historically strong program since 2006. Les Bleus as France is nicknamed  needed three-second half goals to edge Argentina, but it looked like a team on a mission against Uruguay, showcasing the potential that made it a pre-tournament favorite just behind Germany and Brazil.

France has proven multiple players can make plays near the net. Kylian Mbappe had two goals in four minutes against Argentina, while Antoine Griezmann had the game-winner and a big goal against Uruguay at Russia 2018.

Goalkeepers Thibaut Courtois (of Belgium) and Hugo Lloris (of France) figure to be busy. Belgium and France both are potent goal scoring threats. For France, 19-year-old Kylian Mbappe has been a revelation. Mbappe’s play has opened up chances for Antoine Griezmann and Oliver Giroud.  Those players will be a handful for Belgian defenders Vincent Kompany,Jan Vertonghen and Marouane Fellaini.

Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku has scored four goals in this World Cup, tied for second with Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Russia’s Denis Cheryshev, and behind England’s Harry Kane (6 goals). The Belgian offensive attack funnels through the talented duo of Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne.

Belgium’s best World Cup finish came in 1986, when it finished fourth, losing in the third-place game to France. France, of course, has one World Cup title has one World Cup title, winning when it hosted the tournament in 1998. France reached the final at the 2006 World Cup, but were defeated in rather infamous fashion by Germany .

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