A LOOK AT THE FINAL FOUR
First up are early favourites France and Belgium; surprises England and Croatia clash Wednesday
Down to the final four in Russia, the World Cup has become a battle of Europe.
France, Belgium, England and Croatia make up the quartet that will fight for a place in Sunday’s final, with the former pair going head-to-head Tuesday before the latter two meet up Wednesday.
France is the only remaining team that has had consistent success in the history of the World Cup.
Neither the Belgians nor the Croatians have ever reached a World Cup final, while the English last did so when they lifted the trophy in 1966. According to statistics website FiveThirtyEight, the French lead the four teams with a 29 per cent chance of winning the whole thing, with England sitting at 27 per cent, Belgium at 26 per cent and Croatia pulling up the rear at 18 per cent.
The first semifinal between France and Belgium is considered the piece de resistance of this round, and one of the best games of the tournament so far.
On paper, it’s essentially a quasi-final between the best of the more difficult side of the bracket, with the victor becoming the favourite heading into the weekend.
England and Croatia pits two of the tournament’s dark horses against one another.
Here’s a closer look at the next round:
FRANCE VS. BELGIUM Tuesday, 2 p.m. (TSN) Key matchup: Kante/De Bruyne
N’Golo Kante is one of the unsung heroes of this starstudded France team and one of the few to play up to his full potential as a stalwart in defensive midfield in this tournament.
His biggest test thus far comes in the form of Kevin De Bruyne, the dynamic midfielder who even Brazil failed to contain in their 2-1 quarterfinal loss to Belgium.
De Bruyne can’t be given the time to link up with the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard. Both English Premier League players — Kante with Chelsea and De Bruyne with Manchester City — are familiar with one another, making for an exciting battle. News you can use: Belgian striker Lukaku has proven he can act as both goal scorer and provider in this tournament, bagging four goals himself and, crucially, setting up De Bruyne for what would eventually be the winner in their quarterfinal match against Brazil.
On the other side, French striker Olivier Giroud has yet to find the net despite seven shots in 380 minutes of play; his lack of execution prompted coach Didier Deschamps to state publicly he would continue to back the forward. Belgium will be forced into a change after defender Thomas Meunier picked up his second yellow card of the tournament for a foul on Brazil’s Neymar, earning him a suspension for the semifinals.
Belgium arguably has the momentum coming into this match after an unexpected win over favourites Brazil, but if France can find another gear after some relatively nondescript performances, it’s anybody’s game. Pick: Belgium
ENGLAND VS. CROATIA Wednesday, 2 p.m. (TSN) Key matchup: Henderson/ Modric
England midfielder Jordan Henderson comes up against a familiar foe in Croatian playmaker Luka Modric.
The two faced off for their club teams in the Champions League final in May, with Henderson’s Liverpool falling to Modric’s Real Madrid by a score of 3-1. A defensive-minded player, Henderson has produced solid work as he sits in front of England’s backline in this tournament.
But he has yet to come up against a midfielder like Modric, whose silky skills on the attack are at the heart of Croatia’s success.
England is reportedly watching Henderson’s pre-game preparations carefully after he left the quarterfinal with a tight hamstring, though the midfielder has said he expects to shake off the injury in time to play. News you can use: Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic reportedly said his team will have plenty of energy in the tank to face England, despite its last two games — against Denmark and Russia — both going to penalties. He did not score in England’s 2-0 win over Sweden in the quarterfinals but captain Harry Kane still leads the race for the tournament’s golden boot award with six goals.
Croatian goalkeeper Danijel Subasic and right fullback Sime Vrsaljko suffered hamstring and knee injuries, respectively, in the team’s quarterfinal win over Russia; Dalic is hopeful both will recover in time to face England.
Expect Croatia, with Modric and fellow midfielder Ivan Rakitic leading the charge, to be the more creative of the two sides, but for the English to benefit from athleticism.
A young team with lots of height, the Three Lions have scored five goals from corner kicks and set pieces, a tournament high. Pick: England Quarterfinal record: 2-2