Uruguay 0-2 France: Griezmann & Varane on target as France reach semi-final with ease

France moved into the semi-finals of the World Cup with a remarkably straightforward defeat of a subdued Uruguay on Friday.

2018 World Cup

0-2

Match Events

15' Mbappe faces no pressure but his header is high!

CHANCE! Mbappe spurns an opening in front of goal. Pavard's cross into the box is headed into the path of the forward in the box by Giroud. Mbappe has space and time, but he opts for the first time header and mistimes his jump, planting his effort over the bar.

35' Vecino gets in good position but fails to hit it cleanly!

Suarez sends a cross into the box from the right, although Varane beats the forward in the air. Vecino gathers the loose ball and tries an effort on the half-volley, only to see his strike comfortably saved.

40' GOAL! Uruguay 0-1 France (Varane)

GOALLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!! VARANE HEADS FRANCE IN FRONT!!!! 1-0!!! Les Bleus take the lead as Varane glances his header into the net. 

Griezmann floated a precise free-kick towards the middle, taking a slight stutter before his delivery to confuse the Uruguay backline. His hesitation and the accuracy of the delivery allowed Varane to get ahead of Stuani. The defender placed his effort into the corner away from Muslera to put France ahead.

43' Lloris makes a miraculous save to deny Caceres!

SAVE & MISS! Torreira floats the ball into the box and Caceres rises to guide a headed effort towards the bottom corner. The header seems destined for the net, but Lloris flings himself to his right to make an incredible one-handed stop. 

Godin pounces on the rebound, although the keeper manages to get up and make himself big. It forces the mistake from the defender as he blasts his effort wide of the target.

61' GOAL! Uruguay 0-2 France (Griezmann)

GOALLLLLLLLLLL!!!! A NIGHTMARE FOR MUSLERA!!!! GRIEZMANN SCORES 2-0!!! France could be on their way to their last four as Griezmann doubles their lead. 

The forward is afforded space and time on the edge of the box and he fires at goal. It's straight at Muslera, but he has a howler, palming the ball straight into his own net. A shocker from the Uruguay keeper.

72' Tolisso tries a curler but misses the target!

OVER! France open up Uruguay with ease at the back and Tolisso finds acres of room on the edge of the box to fire at goal. However, he places his effort inches over the bar.

Match Report

Raphael Varane and Antoine Griezmann scored as France advanced to a World Cup semi-final against either Belgium or Brazil after easing past Uruguay on Friday.

Following an opening passage high on energy but bereft of quality, Varane glanced home a Griezmann free-kick to open the scoring before the Atletico Madrid man doubled France's advantage just after the hour mark in a moment to forget for Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera.

Griezmann found space 25 yards out and fired in a shot that should have been routine for Muslera but the ball slipped through his grasp and into the net.

Oscar Tabarez's Uruguay, without injured striker Edinson Cavani, never looked like finding a route back into the game and France now await Friday's late game to see who they will meet in St Petersburg on Tuesday.

Line-ups

Uruguay XI: Luis Suárez, Martín Cáceres, Fernando Muslera, Diego Godín, Cristhian Stuani, Matías Vecino, Diego Laxalt, José Giménez, Nahitan Nández, Lucas Torreira, Rodrigo Bentancur

Subs: Cristian Rodríguez, Maxi Pereira, Martín Silva, Carlos Sánchez, Jonathan Urretaviscaya, Sebastián Coates, Martín Campaña, Gastón Silva, Guillermo Varela, Giorgian de Arrascaeta, Maxi Gómez

France XI: Hugo Lloris, Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann, Raphael Varane, Samuel Umtiti, Paul Pogba, N'Golo Kanté, Corentin Tolisso, Lucas Hernández, Benjamin Pavard, Kylian Mbappé

Subs: Steve Mandanda, Adil Rami, Steven N'Zonzi, Djibril Sidibe, Alphonse Areola, Benjamin Mendy, Florian Thauvin, Nabil Fekir, Thomas Lemar, Presnel Kimpembe, Ousmane Dembélé