Raphael Varane, Antoine Griezmann Goals See France Past Uruguay at World Cup

France are into a FIFA World Cup semi-final for the sixth time in their history, as they overcame Uruguay 2-0 at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in Russia on Friday.

Following a tense opening to the game, France edged ahead after Raphael Varane glanced home Antoine Griezmann's cross in the 40th minute. A stunning Hugo Lloris save then prevented Martin Caceres from equalising before the interval.

After the break, Uruguay suffered a huge blow as goalkeeper Fernando Muslera let a routine strike from Griezmann squirm through his hands and over the line.

The two-goal deficit proved to be too much for Uruguay, who were without injured star forward Edinson Cavani, to recover from.

France Finding their Groove at Perfect Time

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The 2018 World Cup has been a slow burner for France, although it seems the team is beginning to find their rhythm in the knockout stages.

Against Argentina, they put a ramshackle defence to the sword in a chaotic game. Against Uruguay, a much more aggressive and canny opponent, they were professional throughout the 90 minutes, limiting their rivals to scraps in the final third.

As noted by football writer Charles Boehm, it was clear the level of preparation the players had put in:

Adaptability is crucial at this point in the World Cup, and France have shown they have it. They can be a threat from set pieces, devastating on the break with Kylian Mbappe, and in Griezmann, they boast a player who can conjure something from nothing.

They may have another gear to go up into yet in an attacking sense, although as they prepare for the semi-finals, manager Didier Deschamps is starting to get the balance right.

Varane Gives France The Leader They Need

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When France came up just short at the UEFA European Championship two years ago, there was a sense that the team lacked cohesion and organisation in defence. In Varane, they have a man who brings those desirable traits.

Although the defence did struggle at times against Argentina, France have been combative and competent at the back. Up against an excellent forward in Luis Suarez, Varane was vital in Les Bleus shutting down a dangerous Uruguay attack.

He also produced at the other end, as his pinpoint header broke the deadlock in what was a tight game to that point.

As noted by Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC, the defender is evidently invested in the French cause:

Meanwhile, bet365 reminded us just how much pedigree the Real Madrid man has despite his young age:

Varane is a thoroughbred winner now and has shone in some of the biggest games in world football for his club and now his national team. With his imperious presence at the base of the side, France look a much more accomplished outfit than they did two years ago.

Lloris Makes Save of the Tournament Contender

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After the opening goal, Uruguay did apply some pressure of their own, and when Caceres flicked a header towards the bottom corner, he would have thought he had scored. That was before Lloris plunged to his right to keep out the effort with an incredible show of agility.

Miguel Delaney of The Independent reckoned it was the best save we've seen in Russia so far:

While the Tottenham Hotspur and France skipper was a little erratic prior to the tournament, he's been making steady progress during the finals, and it appears he's found some consistency again.

Prior to this encounter, Muslera had been part of an excellent Uruguay defensive setup, but he'll look back in horror at his error from Griezmann's shot. He inexplicably opted to punch away a strike that was straight at him, only to see the ball end up in the net behind him.

The two moments were important in determining the outcome of this match:

With Les Bleus' defence looking secure and their goalkeeper finding his feet again, the French fans will be growing in belief about what this team can accomplish in the final week of the tournament.

What's next?

While Uruguay head home, France will now play in the semi-finals of the competition on Tuesday. Their opponents will be determined Friday night when Brazil face Belgium in the second quarter-final.

On the other side of the draw, England meet Sweden and hosts Russia take on Croatia on Saturday.

This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.

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