... but it’s heartbreak for Golden Generation

over by the head of Raphael Varane. Hugo Lloris, who made a stunning save in the quarter-final against Uruguay, then made another brilliant stop to deny his Tottenham teammate Toby Alderweireld from a corner.

Olivier Giroud should have done better at the other end when he fired tamely wide after Griezmann picked out Mbappe for a firsttime cross.

Ragged

But it took a fine save from Thibaut Courtois to deny French right-back Benjamin Pavard the opener, the Belgium No.1 sticking out a leg to deflect his shot wide of the far post.

France ended the half the much stronger, with the Belgians beginning to lose their shape and looking a little ragged.

Les Bleus were ahead shortly after the break when Giroud won a corner with a shot on the turn which deflected out off Vincent Kompany. Griezmann swung it in, and Umtiti beat Marouane Fellaini in the air to head it home at the near post past Courtois.

Confidence soaring, the French started bringing out all the tricks, with Mbappe pulling off an outrageous backheel to play in Giroud, whose shot was blocked by Dembele.

Martinez abandoned the Dembele experiment, throwing on Dries Mertens, but De Bruyne volleyed over and Fellaini headed wide.

Lloris turned away a fierce effort from Axel Witsel, too, but it was France who looked most like scoring again, with Griezmann and Corentin Tolisso denied by Courtois.