Four teams and four games are left to be played at the FIFA World Cup 2018 and one of France, Belgium, Croatia, and England will be lifting 6.1 kilos of 18-carat gold come 15th July in Moscow.
Belgium vs France in St. Petersburg
The two neighbors will fight it out for a berth in the World Cup final on Tuesday. Belgium has won every game they have played so far at the World Cup and also knocked out 5-time winners Brazil before reaching this stage of the competition, while France has played the most exciting football thus far and ousted teams like Argentina and Uruguay on their way to the semifinals.
The two teams do possess the two best squads at this World Cup and the match is expected to be a cracker. Surprisingly, Belgium has an edge over France in the head-to-head, winning 30 times as compared to France’s 24. 19 matches played between the two nations ended in draws.
Belgium’s golden generation failed to deliver the goods in the recent competitions, including the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 European Championships, but their stellar performance against Brazil gave a good account of their potential and instilled hope among the faithful that the ‘Red Devils’ are here to stay.
On the other hand, France managed to score just the three goals in the group stages, but surpassed their tally in the knockout match against Argentina alone, when teenager Kylian Mbappe dismantled Lionel Messi and co. in Kazan.
Winners: Belgium
England vs Croatia in Moscow
A very unlikely semifinal matchup at the start of the competition, these two sides now stand on the brink of a World Cup final. England has reached their first World Cup semifinal since 1990 and this rejuvenated pack of young Englishmen has reached the stage their golden generation never did. England knocked out Colombia and Sweden, while Croatia was stretched by Denmark and hosts Russia in their knockout matches.
The past two meetings between the two nations have ended in comprehensive England victories, so the ‘Three Lions’ will start as favorites against Croatia, who are dealing with several fitness concerns. The only worry for England is Liverpool’s captain Jordan Henderson, who has had a terrific World Cup so far but left the field against Sweden with a tight hamstring.
Winners: England
