Player Ratings: France 1-0 Belgium - Golden Ball favourite Mbappe stars again
A closer look at the performances and explanation of the player ratings from France’s 1-0 win over Belgium in the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup
France - 7.12
Hugo Lloris - 7.39 - The France goalkeeper was equal to everything Belgium threw his way, particularly producing a stunning save to deny Toby Alderweireld in the first half. He made three saves in total.
Benjamin Pavard - 6.75 - It was another impressive display from Pavard, particularly when you consider he was up against Eden Hazard all night. Spurned a glorious chance to put France ahead in the first half, however.
Raphael Varane - 6.98 - The Real Madrid defender produced a masterclass in defensive positioning, always in the right spot to alleviate the danger on his side. Not many dispossess Eden Hazard and he robbed the Belgium captain with a perfect sliding tackle on the edge of his box, epitomising his flawless display at the back.
Samuel Umtiti - 7.86 - Had a few nervy moments in his own penalty area, but scored the only goal of the game with a fantastic glancing header to put France into the final.
Lucas Hernandez - 6.83 - Most of Belgium’s attacks came down the opposite flank, limiting his involvement.
Paul Pogba - 7.47 - Delivered a dominant midfield display United fans will demand more often next season. Was disciplined in defence and lethal in attack, using his unbelievable vision and ability to stretch opposition defences.
N’Golo Kante - 6.73 - It was another typically efficient performance from Kante, who disrupted everything Belgium tried through the middle. The 27-year-old made four tackles and interceptions combined.
Kylian Mbappe - 8.36 - The 19-year-old continues to show a remarkable level of skill and composure for someone his age. The France No.10 tormented Belgium’s defence, completing seven dribbles and creating six goalscoring opportunities.
Antoine Griezmann - 7.50 - Struggled to get a stranglehold on the game but provided the assist from which France scored the winner. Only Harry Kane (6) has played a direct hand in more goals than Griezmann at the 2018 World Cup (5)
Blaise Matuidi - 7.88 - In the side to offer industry, Matuidi excelled for France in an unfamiliar wide left position. The 31-year-old completed more tackles and interceptions combined than any other player on the pitch (9).
Olivier Giroud - 6.46 - Giroud showed perservance in his display and worked hard but nothing came off for the Chelsea striker. He has now had 13 shots at the 2018 World Cup without hitting the target once.
Subs: Corentin Tolisso (6.22), Steven N’Zonzi (6.09)
Belgium - 6.49
Thibaut Courtois - 7.11 - It was another masterful performance from Belgium’s goalkeeper, preventing Benjamin Pavard from opening the scoring for France in the first half. The Chelsea star made four saves in total.
Nacer Chadli - 6.52 - Asked to perform in an unfamiliar right-back position, Chadli saw a lot of the ball and got into good positions but was extremely wasteful from wide areas. Only one of his 11 attempted crosses found a team-mate.
Vincent Kompany - 6.52 - Only Toby Alderweireld (122) had more touches of the ball than Kompany (104) but the 32-year-old was rarely called into action in a defensive aspect.
Toby Alderweireld - 6.46 - Had more touches of the ball than any player on the pitch (122) and was denied a stunning goal on his weaker foot by an equally brilliant Hugo Lloris save.
Jan Vertonghen - 6.54 - Thomas Meunier’s suspension forced Belgium to tinker with their defence and Vertonghen was given the thankless task of marking Kylian Mbappe. It was a long night for the 31-year-old.
Mouse Dembele - 6.12 - Roberto Martinez’s decision to hand Mousa Dembele his second start of the tournament backfired, as the Tottenham ace failed to have any influence on the game. He was fortunate not to get booked for persistent fouling and was eventually hauled off.
Maraoune Fellaini - 6.26 - Had a great chance to equalise in the second half before surprisingly being subbed off with 10 minutes remaining despite the situation being perfect for the towering Manchester United midfielder.
Axel Witsel - 6.49 - You often forget Witsel is on the pitch. He ghosts through matches but is incredibly efficient on the ball, completing 98.3% of his passes.
Kevin De Bruyne - 6.52 - Struggled to really get in the game, first starting on the right before dropping deeper into central midfield towards the end of the match. He showed flashes of magic throughout but was not as effective on a consistent basis as Belgium would have liked.
Romelu Lukaku - 5.96 - Lukaku was a beast in Belgium’s quarter-final victory over Brazil but played like a newt against France. He was swallowed up by Varane and looked shell-shocked, failing to get on the end of several through balls.
Eden Hazard - 8.23 - Picked up where he left off against Brazil in the first half but he gradually waned as the match went on. He completed 10 dribbles, becoming the first player to achieve the feat in a single game at the 2018 World Cup.
Subs: Dries Mertens (6.19), Michy Batshuayi (6.00), Yannick Carrasco (5.98)
