France look to return to the final of the World Cup for the first time since 2006.
Fifa
World Cup 2018 : Although the Tour de France cycle race would
normally be the focus of French and Belgian sports fans at this time
of year, it's a fair bet that Tuesday's World Cup semi-final here
will beat the viewing figures of the annual cycle race in the two
nations in question.
France
look to return to the final of the World Cup for the first time since
2006, while the Belgians look to confirm the promise of their 'golden
generation' and reach the final for the first time.
The
Belgians have won all five of their matches in Russia, scoring 14
goals and leaving Brazil and Japan by the wayside. In the
quarter-final against Brazil, they showed their adaptability and in
the last 16, they showed their resilience by fighting back from 0-2
down against the Japanese.
Belgium
coach Roberto Martinez has shown that he can make changes to his
system, using a 4-3-2-1 for most of the tournament, but adapting to a
4-3-3 to exploit Brazil's weaknesses down the flanks.
Martinez
has succeeded where his predecessors failed by making the team
greater than the sum of its parts. The Spaniard has shown great
tactical pragmatism by setting up his side to suit the
characteristics of his best players and exploit the weakness of
opponents. This was exemplified in the team's 2-1 quarter-final
victory over Brazil, when Kevin de Bruyne was deployed as a false
nine while Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard were pulled wide.
It
remains to be seen what system he will use against a French side that
is rock-solid in midfield. One change forced on Martinez is at
right-back where he will have to find a replacement for the suspended
Thomas Meunier. The most likely candidate is Celtic's Dedryck Boyata.
Story By BS
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