France vs Belgium LIVE World Cup 2018: France into World Cup final - latest reaction from St Petersburg
Follow all the action from the first semi-final of the 2018 World Cup
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Your support makes all the difference.France and Belgium face off in the first semi-final of the 2018 World Cup in what promises to be one of the games of the tournament.
France are here after seeing off Argentina and Uruguay in the knockout stages with Kylian Mbappe continue to rise as one of the games ascending stars. Belgium have moved through the gears in Russia with the performance to dump Brazil out last time out one of the very best of the last three weeks.
Coaches Didier Deschamps and Roberto Martinez have their detractors but have delivered here and are now 90 - or 120 - minutes away from a shot at immortality. It should be a thriller.
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What time does it start?
The game kicks off at 7pm in St Petersburg
Where can I watch it?
The match is being shown live on BBC1. You can also watch it via the BBC Sport website.
How they got here?
France have warmed to this tournament rather than exploded into it with their group stage progression characterised by what have been rather than what did actually come to be. Australia were seen off but only via a late own goal before Peru fell to Mbappe's first goal in Russia. The less said about the Denmark snoozefest the better before Les Bleus showed what is possible with a supreme performance to see off Argentina in the last-16 with that man Mbappe coming of age on a balmy summer afternoon in Kazan. Next the quarter-final and another solid if unspectacular display as Uruguay were sent packing thanks to goals from Raphael Varane and Antoine Griezmann (and a monumental howler from Fernando Muslera).
Belgium themselves have flattered to deceive at times with Panama and Tunisia negotiated without too much trouble before England were also seen off, albeit with a second team in Nizhny Novgorod. Japan threatened to end the dream in the last-16 before Nacer Chadli's last-gasp, extra-time winner saved them. The quarter-finals saw Brazil ousted in a performance to put the whole world on notice as the five-time winners were sent home thanks to vintage displays by De Bruyne and Hazard.
Head-to-head
These two have met some 73 times down the years, the first of which coming way back in 1904 (a 3-3 draw for those wondering). They haven't met competitively since the 1986 World Cup - a 4-2 win for Michel Platini's side - while the last time they faced each other was back in 2014 when the Belgian's triumphed 4-3 with Hazard scoring what proved to be the winner.
Odds
France 29/20
Belgium 11/5
Prediction
France 1-3 Belgium: This is one of the match-ups of the tournament with the two, pound-for-pound best squads going toe to toe in St Petersburg. Both offer an abundance of threat going forwards and while Les Bleus possess the more sturdy defence that fearsome Red Devils front three are in the form of their lives. Expect De Bruyne to have a big game with Romelu Lukaku perhaps the difference maker.
40 mins: Chance! Mbappe plays through Pavard perfectly, he's one-on-one with Courtois but can't lift it over him and the Chelsea shot-stopper saves brilliantly with his ankle.
44 mins: Dembele fouled Pogba and France have a free kick from around 25 yards to the left of goal just before half-time
45 mins: Not many walls in international football as big as Belgium's and it's the tallest of them all Fellaini who blocks Griezmann's attempt
46 mins: Lukaku finally gets a sniff of a chance! De Bruyne crosses but Umtiti gets the tiniest of deflections on it, and it ends up hitting Lukaku and going out for a goal kick
HALF TIME: France 0-0 Belgium
It's been a half to remember for both goalkeepers. Courtois has been tested with Pavard's one-on-one effort, and Lloris was equal to a goal bound effort from Alderweireld. Both sides look incisive in attack, but have had moments of danger in their own areas
There's been plenty of talk on social media about which of these opponents England would like to face. The general consensus is we aren't too confident about either.
The positive of course, is England will only have to play one of them if they manage to beat Croatia. They'll be hoping for this one to go right down to the wire, extra time and penalties, the lot.
The teams are back out, but who will strike the first blow in this one?
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