2018 World Cup Semi-final: France vs Belgium, Croatia vs England Form | Bleacher's report



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  SAMARA, RUSSIA - JULY 7: Raheem Sterling # 10 of England in action during the quarterfinal match between Sweden and England at Samara Arena on July 7, 2018 in Samara, Russia. (Photo by Daniel Malmberg / Getty Images)

Daniel Malmberg / Getty Images

England is the only one of the four semi-finalists of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia to have lost a match at tournament. On the other hand, Belgium is the only team in the competition to have won all matches in normal times en route to the last four.

Belgium will put its perfect record on the line against France in form and balanced in St. Petersburg on Tuesday. The Blues are sharp at the back and qualified at the front, while the Red Devils are creative in their movement and pbad in the last third.

The elegant pbading is also the strong point of Croatia thanks to a team of talented technicians. It's something that England must dominate with pace, strength and breadth when both nations will meet at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow on Wednesday.

Here is the form guide, in terms of victories, defeats and draws, for each of the semi-finalists:

  • France: WWDWW
  • Belgium: WWWWW
  • Croatia: WWWW * -W * [19659008] England: WWLW * -W

* Indicates a win in goal shoot.

France v. Belgium

The Blues kicked off their campaign with uninteresting victories over Australia and Peru in Group C before the start of the season. start the round of 16 after a 0-0 draw with Denmark. Since then, France has been electrifying by scoring six consecutive victories against Argentina and Uruguay.

Forwards Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe both scored twice in this race. They complement each other thanks to their rhythm and to their perceptive movement

  Griezmann and Mbappe are both in a prolific form

Griezmann and Mbappe are both in a prolific form [19659017FRANCKFIFE/GettyImages

with the physical characteristics of striker Olivier Giroud, giving France a naturally balanced attack line.

Central defenders Samuel Umtiti and Raphael Varane and right-back Benjamin Pavard offer power and ability

Defeating such a strong team in key areas will be a challenge even for a Belgian team that does not lack of goals. The Red Devils defeated Panama three times, five against Tunisia and one against England in Group H.

Three more goals ensured a spectacular comeback against Japan in the round of 16 before Belgium beat Brazil 2-1 in the quarter-finals. Friday.

Having a focal point like Romelu Lukaku helps, but the ingenuity of Kevin De Bruyne often makes the difference. He scored a fantastic goal against Brazil but is the most effective as a provider of chances, as Squawka Football pointed out:

Squawka Football @ Squawka

Kevin De Bruyne was directly involved in eight of eight shots in the first half against #BRA.

KDB at its best. B https://t.co/VvgnrlD8sD

The two teams promise goals, but the greatest balance of France should bring them to a successful conclusion.

Croatia Vs. England

Croatia won all Group D matches, scoring seven goals at the same time. However, the Blazers have struggled to reach their goals since, even though they scooped Denmark and host Russia on penalties to reach the semi-finals.

Part of the problem of Croatia was Luka Modric providing midfielder. The star of Real Madrid was exceptional against Russia on Saturday, using different gear to keep control, even if the pace of the game varied, a trait that John Bennett of BBC Sport did not lose:

Modric could lead the show against England's 3-4-1-2 formation, which may be mild in the central midfield. However, the three Lions enjoy the width thanks to the wingmen Ashley Young and Kieran Trippier, while Raheem Sterling stretches the defenses with rhythm

The latter had trouble finding his cool in front of the goal 2 -0-0 in quarter-final against Sweden on Saturday but remains a constant threat thanks to his intelligent runs:

Match of the day @ BBCMOTD

Raheem Sterling had eight hits at Inside the opposing area far as far as all the other players on the field combined.

Live: https://t.co/hXEB251FQV
#bbcworldcup #worldcup #ENG #SWE #SWEENG #ENGSWE https://t.co/8RESYo2HJk

The Belief defense was looking fragile against Russia, so freeing Sterling in advance could put England on the way to the final.

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