Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
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Martinez’s side boasted nine different scorers going into this game, Marouane Fellaini (left) among them.
They’d seen off Brazil and shown character to come back from the dead against Japan . From the outset here they showed they would not be intimidated.
Fi v e mi n u t e s in, Hazard shot wide from De Bruyne’s deft pass.
In the 18th minute Varane was lucky to get a vital block on Hazard’s curling ef fort. Three minutes l at er Hugo Lloris pulled off a fantastic save to parry Toby Alderweireld’s shot from the edge of the box.
France, up against it, had to respond. And they did. Olivier Giroud missed with a header in the 30th minute. Antoine Griezmann then sent Mbappe in behind Vertonghen to cross for Giroud again but the Chelsea star shot wide.
France should really have taken the lead six minut e s b efore the break but right-back Benjamin Pavard shot when Griezmann would have had an open goal.
It was on the other side of the break that Deschamps’ men made their pressure count. Giroud had a shot d ef l e ct ed wi d e and Umtiti headed in from the resulting corner.
Belgium threw everything forward in search of a response but the French were just too well-drilled. If anything they could have scored more goals with a more potent forward than Giroud. You get the impression they haven’t even reached top gear yet. They will take some stopping in Sunday’s final.