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World champions France went up against the top-ranked team in international football, Belgium, in the second UEFA Nations League semi-final on Thursday night in Turin. Both coaches fielded their strongest XIs, setting the stage for a star-studded, action-packed encounter. France’s Kylian Mbappe and Belgian superstar Kevin De Bruyne were the standout performers in the opening spell, creating multiple scoring opportunities for either side.
But against all odds, it was Yannick Carrasco who struck first. A lucky deflection off Jules Kounde wrong-footed Hugo Lloris and put Belgium ahead. Three minutes later, Lukaku stormed down the right-hand flank and doubled Belgium’s advantage, leaving Theo Hernandez in the dust.
In the second half, Belgium decided to sit back, but the plan quite evidently backfired. Karim Benzema pulled one back in the 62nd minute before Kylian Mbappe dispatched a thumping penalty to level the game at 2-2 seven minutes later.
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In the dying minutes of the UEFA Nations League clash, France struck again through Theo Hernandez to complete the turnaround. With only four minutes of injury time to play, the Red Devils failed to get the equalizer, conceding their spot in the final to France.
France’s superstars dug deep to get the unlikely 3-2 win, and here are the five players who stood out. Now further ado, let's check out France’s best performers in their UEFA Nations League win over Belgium on Thursday.
#5 Jules Kounde
Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde got the nod to start alongside Manchester United’s Raphael Varane in the UEFA Nations League semi-final against Belgium. Apart from gifting De Bruyne an unexpected opportunity to open the scoring for Belgium, he did justice to the faith his coach showed in him.
He grew in confidence as the match wore on and did his best to contain the threats of Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard. The former still got on the scoresheet, of course, but Kounde made sure Hazard could not apply the finishing touches despite getting into the box.
#4 Theo Hernandez
They say football is a game of two halves, and no one understands the saying better than Bayern Munich left-back Theo Hernandez. In the first half, Hernandez was dummied by Romelu Lukaku en route to Belgium’s second goal. He lacked confidence and did not do enough to show that he deserved to start in the UEFA Nations League semi-final.
In the second half, he sprung to life and dominated the left flank. Instead of exploiting the space Theo was leaving behind, Belgium were too busy defending against his venomous crosses. Even then, they failed to contain the attacking threat Theo brought.
With just seconds of normal time remaining, Hernandez picked up the ball just outside the Belgium box. He measured his angle and struck it with considerable force. Thibaut Courtois got a hand to it but it was too firmly struck for him to keep out.
#3 Paul Pogba
Thursday’s UEFA Nations League semi-final pitted two of Premier League’s best midfielders against one another. However, while Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne was firing on all cylinders in the first half itself, Manchester United star Paul Pogba took his time to get going. No, the 2018 World Cup winner was not poor by any means in the first half, but he did not look as menacing as he could have been.
In the second 45, Pogba came out with a clear head and renewed ambitions. He tackled expertly, intercepted potentially dangerous passes, and charged forward whenever an opportunity presented itself.
In the 88th minute, Pogba stood over a free-kick in an inviting position. He measured his shot and hit the top-right corner of the bar with his curling and dipping effort. The sweet strike deserved to be the winner for France, but the universe had other ideas. All in all, it was a memorable performance from Pogba, the perfect rehearsal dinner for Sunday’s showpiece event against Spain.
#2 Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema is one of the best strikers in the world right now. The Real Madrid man has registered 10 goals and seven assists in 10 matches, emerging once again as the club’s most influential player. Unsurprisingly, he carried his scintillating club form over to the UEFA Nations League semi-final.
Truth be told, Benzema didn't do much in the first half, just like most of his team-mates. However, Didier Deschamps was not ready to sub his star striker out, and for good reason. In typical fashion, Benzema created something out of nothing in the 62nd minute, giving France the lifeline they needed.
He picked up Mbappe’s ball just inside the area, but with his back towards goal. Despite being swarmed by four Belgian defenders, Benzema somehow created a couple of inches of space and put his left foot through the ball. His club team-mate Thibaut Courtois had no answer as the ball nestled into the far corner.
#1 Kylian Mbappe
Paris Saint-Germain star and France’s posterboy Kylian Mbappe ran the show for France on Thursday night. Like all of his team-mates, he improved considerably in the second half, but he was quite menacing in the first 45 as well. His runs down the flanks were difficult for Belgium to contain, but he could not quite manage to apply the finishing touches in the first half.
He came out all guns blazing in the second half of the second UEFA Nations League semi-final and assisted Benzema’s world-class strike in the 62nd minute. Seven minutes later, he dispatched the perfect penalty to level the game for France, which pretty much sealed his Man of the Match award. Mbappe also completed the most dribbles (9) and won the most duels (12) in the UEFA Nations League semi-final against Belgium.
