FIFA World Cup 2018: When and where to watch France vs Belgium semi-final, coverage on TV and live streaming on SonyLIV

Preview: Although the Tour de France cycle race would normally be the focus of French and Belgian sports fans at this time of year, it’s a fair bet that Tuesday’s World Cup semi-final will beat the viewing figures of the annual cycle race in the two nations in question. France look to return to the final of the World Cup for the first time since 2006, while the Belgians look to confirm the promise of their ‘golden generation’ and reach the final for the first time. France take on Belgium in the first semi-final at Saint Petersburg Stadium at 11.30 pm on Tuesday

The Belgians have won all five of their matches in Russia, scoring 14 goals and leaving Brazil and Japan by the wayside. In the quarter-final against Brazil they showed their adaptability and in the last-16 they showed their resilience by fighting back from 0-2 down against the Japanese. Belgium coach Roberto Martinez has shown that he can make changes to his system, using a 4-3-2-1 for most of the tournament, but adapting to a 4-3-3 to exploit Brazil’s weaknesses down the flanks. Martinez has succeeded where his predecessors failed by making the team greater than the sum of its parts. The Spaniard has shown great tactical pragmatism by setting up his side to suit the characteristics of his best players and exploit the weakness of opponents. This was exemplified in the team’s 2-1 quarter-final victory over Brazil, when Kevin de Bruyne was deployed as a false nine while Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard were pulled wide. The French drew one group game (against Denmark), but their World Cup has been one of constant progression built around goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, central defenders Raphael Varane and Samuel Umtiti and midfielders, N’Ggolo Kante and Paul Pogba. Olivier Giroud provides a focal point in attack. Add to that the pace of Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann, who will also drop back to help in the middle and Didier Deschamps has a team without any apparent weaknesses. If Belgium persists with three central defenders, Deschamps will look to full-backs Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard to push forward and look to exploit spaces between the Belgian defensive trio of Vincent Kompany, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen. France will have to be wary of Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne’s pace on the break. Martinez and his players have already shown they can change their formation depending on their rivals and Tuesday promises to be an absorbing tactical battle. Here is all you need to know about when and where to watch the first semi-final of the 2018 FIFA World Cup which will be played between France and Belgium: When and where will the match be played? The semi-final between France and Belgium will be played on 10 July at the Saint Petersburg Stadium. How do I watch the match live? The matches will be shown live on SONY TEN 2, SONY TEN 2 HD, SONY TEN 3 and SONY TEN 3 HD. What time will the live coverage start? The live coverage of the FIFA World Cup will begin at 10.30 pm with a pre-match show. The semi-final will start at 11.30 pm. Where can I follow the matches online? The matches will be streamed live on SonyLIV. You can also follow live updates at firstpost.com . Click here for full coverage of FIFA World Cup 2018  Click here to view the full schedule of FIFA World Cup 2018   Agencies