France with their 4-2-3-1: with a strong backbone of Hugo Lloris, Raphael Varane, Umtiti, Ngolo Kante, Paul Pogba and Oliveir Giroud, allowing Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann room to roam and Blaise Matudi room on the left.

Belgium, flexible with three at the back, five in the middle and Kevin de Bruyne and Eden Hazard dropping back, picking the ball deep, running, cutting inside and continually probing, looking for the ball into Romelu Lukaku.

The game ebbed and flowed like the waters of the Baltic, just a stone's throw from the Saint Petersburg Stadium with Belgium dominating first, then France reacting before halftime.