Belgium began the first semi-final of FIFA World Cup 2018 with positive intent, dominating possession against France. The goalless scoreline in the first-half saw a dramatic twist in the 51st minute when Samuel Umtiti headed a crafty corner into the net to dash Belgium hopes and take France to their first final since 2006.
Here are the match highlights from St. Petersburg:
Full-time! France are through to the finals, courtesy a 1-0 win vs Belgium.
90+3 minute: Yellow card! Belgium's Jan Vertonghen gets booked for a challenge on Mbappe.
90+2 minute: Yellow card! France's Mbappe gets booked for wasting time.
6 minutes of Stoppage time!!
89 minute: MISS!! Kevin De Bruyne chips the ball into the French box to find Lukaku at close-range but Lukaku fails to make a contact. Belgium need to make the most of their chances here as they are running out of time.
88 minute: Yellow card! N'Golo Kante gets booked for a challenge on Hazard. Free-kick to Belgium.
86 minute: Substitution for France, Corentin Tolisso replaces Blaise Matuidi.
85 minute: Substitution for France, Giroud is replaced by Nzonzi.
81 minute: Belgium's Axel Witsel fires a bullet towards the French goal but Lloris makes a brilliant save.
79 minute: Substitution for Belgium, Marouane Fellaini is replaced by Yannick Carrasco.
76 minute: Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne attempts a shot from distance but clouds the ball away from the goal.
71 minute: Yellow card! Belgium's Toby Alderweireld gets booked for a foul on Blaise Matuidi.
68 minute: Griezmann finds Giroud outside the box but the latter skies the ball away from the goal.
65 minute: MISS!! Dries Mertens makes a brilliant cross from the far corner but Marouane Fellaini heads it wide. That was close.
63 minute: Yellow card! Belgium's Eden Hazard gets booked for a challenge on Blaise Matuidi.
62 minute: MISS!! Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne fails to hit shot on target after a feeble clearance from Raphael Varane.
61 minute: Substitution for Belgium, Dries Mertens is in for Mousa Dembele.
Interestingly, Eight of the last 12 goals have come from headers in this World Cup.
56 minute: Brilliant play after Mbappe makes a back-heel pass to Giroud in the box but Goalkeeper Courtois.
54 minute: Free-kick to France at a promising position. But the Belgium defence clears the ball to safety.
France 1-0 Belgium
51 minute: GOAL!!! Samuel Umtiti heads France's first goal in the match off a corner from Griezmann. What a goal. France take the lead.
48 minute: MISS!! Belgium's Axel Witsel curls the ball to find Lukaku in the middle, but Lukaku heads the ball over the crossbar.
Second-half is underway!
Numbers. #FRABEL // #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/1nrWezUshA
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 10, 2018
France 0-0 Belgium !!
Half-time!!
45+1 minute: MISS!! Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne whips the ball in from the right-flank but Lukaku fails to make the most of defender Samuel Umtiti's error.
1 minute of Stoppage time!
44 minute: Free-kick for France at a dangerous position. Griezmann hits it straight to the Belgium wall.
39 minute: SAVED!! France's Pavard fires a shot from close range but the Belgium goalkeeper Courtois blocks it away for a corner. That was close.
36 minute: France make another attack as Griezmann makes a solo run and attempts a shot from distance but hits it wide. Both teams hunt for the first-breakthrough.
34 minute: MISS!! France's Mbappe makes a brilliant cross to Giroud who fails to have a shot on goal. France are up and attacking here.
31 minute: Free-kick to France. Griezmann curls the ball and finds Olivier Giroud in the Belgium box, the latter's header misses the goal by a whisker. That was close.
25 minute: Corner for France. Antoine Griezmann whips the ball in to find Belgium's Marouane Fellaini, who heads the ball away to safety.
21 minute: Corner for Belgium. SAVED!! Toby Alderweireld turns to fire a shot on target but French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris leaps to right to make a brilliant save. That was going in.
19 minute: MISS!! Hazard curls the ball from distance but it is deflected away by Raphael Varane for a corner.
15 minute: Eden Hazard picks up a pass from Kevin De Bruyne, but hits the ball wide.
12 minute: France's Paul Pogba attempt a long through-pass to Kylian Mbappe, who threatened with a shot but goalkeeper Courtois charged forward to collect the ball. That was close.
7 minute: France hold early possession as they operate in the midfield, forcing France to defend deep.
5 minute: Corner for Belgium. Hazard attempts to find a teammate with his cross from the corner but France defender clears the ball for a corner.
1 minute: France make the first charge as Kylian Mbappe races into the far corner from the left-flank but his cross gets cleared by the Belgium defence. What a start.
Kick-off!!
FORMATIONS // #FRABEL #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/SVGLuwzJDr
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 10, 2018
Lineups
Belgium XI: Thibaut Courtois; Vincent Kompany, Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen; Axel Witsel; Nacer Chadli, Mousa Dembele, Marouane Fellaini, Kevin De Bruyne; Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard.
France XI: Hugo Lloris; Benjamin Pavard, Raphael Varane, Samuel Umtiti, Lucas Hernandez; N'Golo Kante, Paul Pogba; Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann, Blaise Matuidi; Olivier Giroud.
Belgium appear in their first semi-final since 1986, after defeating five-time champions Brazil 2-1 in the quarter-finals. France, on the other hand, will play their sixth World Cup semi-finals after a comfortable 2-0 win over Uruguay.
Both the sides have only met twice in the tournament, with France getting the better of Belgium on both the occasions, 3-1 in 1938 and 4-2 at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
Belgium coach Roberto Martinez would rely on star strikers, Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard to come good against in-form Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Paul Pogba.
Squads:
France:
Goalkeepers- Hugo Lloris, Steve Mandanda, Alphonse Areola.
Defenders- Raphael Varane, Samuel Umtiti, Adil Rami, Benjamin Pavard, Presnel Kimpembe, Bernard Mendy, Djibril Sidibe, Lucas Hernandez.
Midfielders- Blaise Matuidi, Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante, Thomas Lemar, Corentin Tolisso, Steven N’Zonzi.
Forwards- Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe, Nabil Fekir, Ousmane Dembele, Florian Thauvin.
Belgium:
Goalkeepers- Koen Casteels, Thibaut Courtois, Simon Mignolet.
Defenders- Toby Alderweireld, Dedryck Boyata, Leander Dendoncker, Vincent Kompany, Thomas Meunier, Thomas Vermaelen, Jan Vertonghen.
Midfielders- Yannick Carrasco, Nacer Chadli, Kevin De Bruyne, Mousa Dembele, Marouane Fellaini, Thorgan Hazard, Adnan Januzaj, Youri Tielemans, Axel Witsel.
Forwards- Michy Batshuayi, Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Dries Mertens.
