World Cup - Hugo into final, Belgians bow out
Tue 10 July 2018, 21:34|Tottenham Hotspur
Hugo Lloris will lead France into the World Cup Final on Sunday after beating Belgium, including Spurs team-mates Toby Alderweireld, Mousa Dembele and Jan Vertonghen, in the semi-final in St Petersburg on Tuesday night.
Captain of Spurs and France, Hugo, 31, will become only the second Spurs player to play in the World Cup Final after Christian Ziege appeared for Germany against Brazil in 2002.
He could face five more team-mates for the ultimate prize in Moscow if England overcome Croatia in the second semi-final on Wednesday evening (7pm UK).
All three of our Belgians started for the first time in the tournament and Toby forced Hugo into the save of the night with the score still 0-0 in the first half. Toby spun and fired at goal from a corner but Hugo was equal to it, touching around the post at full stretch.
Hugo also turned away a long-range drive from Axel Witsel but apart from Marouane Fellaini's header zipping just wide in the second half, France kept Belgium at bay.
In the end, the game was decided by Samuel Umtiti's near post header from Antoine Griezmann's corner on 51 minutes.
The result means Hugo will lead Les Bleus into successive major finals having lost out to Portugal in the final of Euro 2016.
Next up...
Wednesday, 7pm
Semi-final - England v Croatia - Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Harry Kane, Danny Rose, Kieran Trippier
Saturday, 3pm
Third place play-off - Belgium v England/Croatia - Toby Alderweireld, Mousa Dembele, Jan Vertonghen
Sunday, 4pm
World Cup Final - France v England/Croatia - Hugo Lloris