Sports

France beat Uruguay 2-0 to reach semi-finals

Reuters/Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

July 06, 2018 | 07:05 PM

France's Raphael Varane celebrates with Antoine Griezmann after scoring the opener during the Russia 2018 World Cup quarter-final against Uruguay at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Friday.

Raphael Varane's glancing header and a goalkeeping blunder that gifted Antoine Griezmann a soft goal gave France a 2-0 victory over Uruguay in the first World Cup quarter-final on Friday and a set up a last-four tie with Brazil or Belgium.

Varane's 40th-minute header from a Griezmann free kick was only the second goal Uruguay had conceded all tournament. The South Americans went close to equalising just before the break only for Martin Caceres's goal-bound header to be brilliantly turned onto a post by goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.But it was an error by Uruguay keeper Fernando Muslera that settled it when he tried to palm a routine long-range, swerving Griezmann shot after 61 minutes but misjudged it and allowed it to slip past him.Uruguay, hard-hit by the absence of injured key striker Edinson Cavani, showed plenty of commitment trying to find a way back but France controlled the ball well to secure their Saint Petersburg semi-final slot.

By Reuters/Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

July 06, 2018 | 07:05 PM