World Cup 2018: And then there were four

Jul 09, 2018, 12:04 PM

Only four teams remain in the 2018 World Cup, with France and Belgium contesting the first semi-final on Tuesday before Croatia and England face off on Wednesday. Whichever side can win two more games will therefore be crowned champions.

France v Belgium looks set to be a battle of the front three, with Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Grioud the big threats for France, while Belgium will look to Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku to guide them to victory. 

In the other semi-final, England are expected to continue with what has served them so well in the tournament so far; relying on crosses and set pieces as Harry Kane aims to consolidate his lead in the race to win the golden boot. For Croatia, their hopes will lie predominantly with the superstar midfield pairing of Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic.

In this Extra Time podcast, Steve Luckings and Jon Turner look ahead to the semi-finals, pick out the key players who could be decisive and discuss the tactics that will be deployed by each side. They also provide their predictions for the final.