Premier match-ups give Belgians the inside edge

THE Premier League factor could make the difference when France and Belgium contest their World Cup semi-final tomorrow night. The Belgians have 11 Englandbased players in their squad while France have five. ‘We know all these players so well,’ said Nacer Chadli, the Belgium and West Brom midfielder. ‘We know them at a tactical level, we know what they are capable of doing and we know their individual qualities. I think it’s an advantage for our planning.’ The teams meet in St Petersburg and rivalries include Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and captain Eden Hazard up against Chelsea teammates Ngolo Kante and Olivier Giroud. Paul Pogba faces Manchester United club mates Marouane Fellaini and Romelu Lukaku. Belgium must cope without defender Thomas Meunier who is suspended after tripping Brazil star Neymar and earning a second yellow card of the tournament. In Meunier’s absence, coach Roberto Martinez may decide not to revert to his favoured 3-5-2 formation and stick with a back four, which he utilised to overcome Brazil.