France 1 0 Belgium (Refresh browser for latest update)
Full-time wrap: France did enough, lets say that. Belgium dominated long periods but the French has the clearer chances. Belgium were very good from box-to-box but couldn't find more than one real clear-cut chance in the first-half. The French's post match celebration would suggest they think they have already got their habds on the trophy - which is cool in my book cause I have them in the Newshub sweep!! Thanks for your time - Ben will be back tomorrow morning for the England vs Croatia semi-final.
91+6: That's it - referee calls time and the Freench celebrate like they just won the tournament. This is crazy - they clearly don't rate the Coatians or Poms.
91+5: France go close again - they have had all the ball late here. Tolisso with a great chance but Courtois does well saving to his left. Corner for France - that could be it.
91+4: Free-kick for France. Mbappe fouled by Vertonghen - the young fella made the most of it but fair call.
91+3: Griezmann with a chance to finish them off but well saved by Courtois.
91+2: Belgium can't get the ball back off France at the moment.
90mins: Six-minutes of added time to be played. France eating up time with a decent spell of possesion.
88mins: Great ball in from Du Bruyne - the ball bouncing around the area and Lukaku had a chance but he fluffed it. Moments later it's the same combination - great delivery from Du Bryune but Lukaku can't get his head to it. Chance gone.
87mins: Kante picks up a yellow. Foul on Hazard about 30-yards out.
85mins: Matuidi off and Tolisso on for France - Matuidi looks a little concussed. Should be a decent amount of injury time to be played. Not much football happening at the moment.
83mins: Oliver Giroud off (bout time) with Steven N'Zonzi is on. Defence minded switch for the French.
80mins: Hugo Loris comes to the rescue for France. Alex Witsel with a thunderboult from 30-yards - a swerving effort that Loris did well to punch clear. The Spurs keeper has been outstanding today.
79mins: Fellaini off and Yannick Carrasco on. Attacking midfielder from Atletico Madrid.
77mins: Free-kick for France. They have hada decent spell with the ball the last few minutes. Fellaini with the foul on Mbappe. Griezmann swings in a cross but it's deflected wide by Giroud - who else.
76mins: Belgium with all the ball but can't break this French wall. Du Bruyne with a wasteful effort from outside the box as he fires high and wide.
73mins: France with 11 behind the ball now - looks like they are happy to soak the pressure up for the final 20-minutes or so.
69mins: Belgium applying the pressure now. Mertens is creating havoc with his crosses...another couple semi-chances are well defended by the French. Loris looking solid in goal as he stuffs another dangerous Mertens cross.
67mins: France break out. Mbappe on the run..finds Griezmann out wide on the left..great first touch..Griezmann slides it to Giroud but he blasts over the bar. Gotta say Giroud has been dreadful.
65mins: Mertens making an impact. Another fine cross is well saved by Loris...moments later Mertens with another pinpoint cross....finds Fellaini, who is playing as a striker now, but he powerfully heads just wide. Belgium back in this..France sitting back...Dangerous.
63mins: Yellow card for Hazard. Brings down Matuidi as France break out past halfway.
61mins: Dries Mertens straight into the thick of it. Varane gives the ball away to Lukaku who finds Mertens on an overlapping run..he gets to the byline and fires in a cross....it rebounds to Du Bruyne but he mistimes his volley and it's easy for Loris.
59mins: France keeping the ball better than they did in the first-half....Belgium appear to be a little shellshocked off the back of that goal. Plenty of time remianing though. First sub for Belgium..Dembele off and Mertens..an attacking midfielder replaces him.
56mins: Superb French interplay almost creates a second fro France. Giroud goes close but Coutois covers well...bit of a scramble and finally Belgium clear. France have found a gear Belgium don't appear to be able to hang with. We shall see.
53mins: Free-kcik for Griezmann just outside the box but wide on the left....he floats in a cross but Belgium clear well.
50mins: GOAL FRANCE - Samuel Umtiti: Corner from Griezmann finds Umtiti at the near post...he beats Fellaini to the ball and powers it past Courtios. The Barcelona defender gets France on the board and they hold court St. Petersburg.
49mins: Belgium making all the play to begin the half....Du Bruyne starting to come into the game more. France break through Kante and Matuidi...Comes to Giroud and his shot is deflected wide.
47mins: Lukaku with the first chance of the half. Chadli with a delicous ball inti the box and the Manchester United man gets his head to it but it's too strong and is over Loris' goal.
Second-half: Back underway...The Red Devils with the ball..Du Bruyne attacks down the right..he wins an attacking throw.
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First-half wrap: Belgium dominated the first half-hour as France really struggled to maintain any decent periods of possesion. Loris made a great save midway through the half from his Spurs teammate Alderweireld...the only true chance Belgium created. Pavard came close for France late in the piece with a low shot that Courtois saved with his foot. That came off the back of France's best period of the game. The game is well poised....could be a case of next goal wins like the old playground days.
45+1mins: Wow! Late chance for Lukaku...well at least an opportunity. Umtiti fluffs a clearing attempt inside the box and it falls to an unsuspecting Lukaku who can't get on the end of it...and that'll do us for the first half.
45mins: One minute of added time to be played.
43mins: Wasted chance that. Straight into the wall and Belgium clear.
42mins: Free-kick for France just outsdie the box. Great interplay form Griezmann, Pogba and Kante results on Kompany bringing down Pogba. Griezmann over the ball.
38mins: France break on the counter..Pogba with a lovely pass to Pavard in the box..he shoots low but Courtios with a great save with his foot...the ball deflects just past his right goal post....best chance of the game. Corner comes to nothing. France in this now.
36mins: Griezmann collects from a Kante pass inside his own half..lovely weaving run as he carries the ball 40-yards but is wasteful with an ambitious shot...shoots well wide of goal.
35mins: Belgium in possesion now..not much happening as the pass the ball around their back three.
33mins: Another chance for France is wasted. Great pass from Griezmann finds Mbappe free on the right..he fires in a low cross to Goroud who is wasteful again and shoots wide under pressure from Kompany. Best chance of the game for France there.
32mins: Good period for France. Giroud with another chance after Griezmann creates space but well defended...moments later Griezmann again with the ball but his 20-yard effort is smashed over the bar.
31mins: It's a short pass to Pavard who floats in coss that Giroud gets a head too but it's just wide of Courtois' goal.
30mins: Free-kick for France. Mbappe hammered off the ball by Vertonghen. About 30-yards out here for Griezmann.
27mins: Another period of possesion for Belgium but Fellaini gives the ball away with a hopeful pass out wide for Du Bruyne. But as has been the case, the French give it straight back..Du Bruyne down the right slides in a pass inside the six-yard, but it's cleared by Varane again. Dangerous ball but great defending by the Real Madrid man.
25mins: Great interplay from Kante and Pogba creates a chance on the right for Hernandez but it's deflected wide by Vertonghen. Corner comes to nothing as Fellaini clears well.
23mins: Giroud with a chance after a wonderful pass from Umtiti but he can't get on the end of it. Belgium back in possesion.
21mins: France clearly sitting back here...allowing Belgium to make the play. Another corner as Varane clears a dangerous pass from Chadli. Chance! No! Wonderful save from Loris off an Alderweireld right foot drive from just inside the ox as the ball deflected from a corner.Belgium owning this at the moment.
19mins: Corner for Belgium after Hazard goes close again...Varane with a wonderful tackle that deflects the ball over Loris' goal. Corner comes to nothing as Loris clears.
17mins: Matuidi with a bullett shot from just outside the 18-yard box is well collected by Courtois....had that been either side it could have been the opener.
16mins: Du Bruyne scoops up a wayward French pass and finds Hazard in the area but he shoots just wide of Loris' goal. Close.
14mins: France with a decent spell of possesion here....as I say that Kompany wins the ball back and sets Du Bruyne free down the right but he is well taken care of by Pavard.
12mins: The French passing has been awful to start. Belgium ack in control after a short period of attack from France...Pogba wins the ball back and the French break..great pass for Mbappe but it's just to long and Courtios cleans up well. They must watch Mbappe...lightning quick.
10mins: Mbappe wins the ball 30 yards out..floats a lob pass to Giroud but he can't control the ball and Belgium clear.
9mins: The French keep giving the ball away as Belgium start to press now. All Belgium so far..no fouls yet.
7mins: Belgium bossing the midfield ar present..they have had all the ball since the 3rd minute. Hazard influential so far..Fellaini has started very well winning the ball back twice already.
6mins: Wasted effort from Chadli as the corner floats over the goal and out for a restart from Loris.
5mins: Hazard down the left gets a ball into the six-yard box but Umtiti clears over the line for a corner.
4mins: Belgium with the ball for the first time and make an impact.....Du Bruyne attacking at pace..a couple of balls into the area but Lukaku can't get onto either of them.
2mins: France with all the possesion early doors but mostly passingt it around in their own half..Belgium not really pressing at this stage.
1min: Early chance for France as Pogba puts a ball in the area but it's scrambled away by Kompany.
KICKOFF: The French get's us going - 14 EPL players on display today. Incredible.
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5.57am: Okay almost set for kick-off. Sounds like a pro French crowd if the anthem sing alongs are anything to go by.
5.55am: Anthem time and then we will be underway.
5.52am: Probably a clash with the two form sides of the tournament - I guess Croatia could argue that point but they have struggled a bit in the second-round. France appear to have found another gear since the Group stages - they disposed Argentina with three second-half goals in 10-minutes and muted Uruguay a few days later.
5.50am: These two sides are each others most common opponent..with Belgium just holding a slight advantage.
5.45am: Looks to be overcast in St.Petersburg for this European clash.....no rain about, but given the hot weather the last few weeks I'm sure the players will be delighted to play on cooler air.
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Welcome to live updates of the first World Cup semi-final between France and Belgium in St.Petersburg.
Belgium are playing in just their second semi-final – they lost to Maradona and Argentina in Mexico in 1986. France have lost at this stage three times, 1958, 1982 and 1986.
The French, winners at home in 1998 also made the final in 2006 before losing on penalties to Italy.
Staring XI's
France
1-Loris, 2-Pavard, 4-Varane, 5-Umtiti, 6-Pogba, 7-Griezmann, 9-Giroud, 10-Mbappe, 12-Kante, 14-Matuidi, 21-Hernandez
Belgium
1-Courtois, 2-Alderweireld, 4-Kompany, 5-Vertonghen, 6-Witsel, 7-De Bruyne, 8-Fellaini, 9-R.Lukaku, 10-E.Hazard,19-Dembele, 22-Chadli
Newshub.
