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In football, clubs take precedence over the national teams more often than not, but when the World Cup comes around, friends become foes and sometimes foes are forced to become friends.
The other scenario we come across quite often involves clubmates playing against each other. For example, in the quarterfinal match between France and Uruguay; Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann and Lucas Hernandez lined up against Diego Godin and Jose Gimenez; and Luis Suarez and Samuel Umtiti, both of Barcelona also clashed.Whenever Spain play, rivals Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique come together after another season full of bashing each other’s team or even each other.
One of the most famous instance of clubmates clashing at a World Cup was back in 2006 when Cristiano Ronaldo played a big hand in getting his then Manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney sent off.
We will witness many teammates from Europe’s top clubs play against each other in the semifinal round and hopefully, they will produce a few moments to savour.
#8. AS Monaco - Djibril Sidibé and Thomas Lemar vs Youri Tielemans
Monaco have four representatives left at the World Cup but none of them have played a crucial role in their teams World Cup run except Croatia’s goalkeeper Danijel Subašić.
Djibril Sidibe lost his place as France’s first choice right-back to Benjamin Pavard and the Monaco man’s only involvement at the World Cup was the 90 minutes against Denmark in a dead rubber fixture. His club mate, Thomas Lemar was also only involved in the same game.
Sidibe and Lemar were few of the few stars who didn’t leave Monaco last summer after their Ligue 1 triumph, but Lemar already has an agreement with Atletico Madrid pending a medical. Sidibe could also be on his way out with Atletico Madrid rumoured to be one of his possible destinations.
Monaco’s Belgian representative, Youri Tielemans joined the club last summer to replace a host of outgoing stars. Tielemans played the entire 90 minutes against England in their group stage fixture and had a cameo in the games against Tunisia and Brazil.
#7. Barcelona - Samuel Umtiti and Ousmane Dembele vs Thomas Vermaelen
There are three Barcelona players combined in the squads of France and Belgium but only one is likely to start or even play in the semifinal.
Samuel Umtiti has started all but one game for France at the World Cup so far and the only game he missed was the inconsequential match against Denmark. As for Ousmane Dembele, he started the games against Australia and Denmark but didn’t make a huge impact in both games before he was taken off. He was only involved in two minutes after the group stage.
Representing Barcelona in the Belgium side is Thomas Vermaelen who started against England and came on in the closing stages against Brazil.
Interestingly, Umtiti took the #23 kit at Barcelona in 2016 from Vermaelen after the latter moved to Roma on loan. When the Belgian returned to Barcelona, he had to take up the #25 kit.
#6. Manchester United - Paul Pogba vs Romelu Lukaku and Marouane Fellaini
Two of Manchester United’s biggest stars and Marouane Fellaini (no pun intended) will go head to head in the game between France and Belgium.
Lukaku and Fellaini have played crucial roles in Belgium’s run to the semifinal. The former has scored four and assisted one in four games so far but what stats don’t show is how important he was in Belgium’s last minute winner against Japan.
Fellaini was the man of the match in Belgium’s 1-0 win over England, came off the bench against Japan when his team was trailing 2-0, scored the goal that made it 2-2 and more importantly, was top-notch against Brazil and kept the dangerous Philippe Coutinho in check.
Fellaini and Lukaku are likely to start for Belgium against France and they will be up against Paul Pogba. The French midfielder has played all but one games so far and was praised for his performance against Uruguay in the quarter-final.
Pogba and Lukaku are friends off the pitch and their social media accounts have documented this fact very well. It remains to be seen if these Man Utd players can produce a moment to remember like Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney did in 2006.
#5. Manchester City - Benjamin Mendy vs Vincent Kompany and Kevin de Bruyne
Manchester City have three representatives in Belgium vs France game and the two Belgians are sure to start while the Frenchman is almost sure to be left on the bench.
Mendy missed most of last season because of an injury but was still included in the France squad. His only appearance at the World Cup so far was as a sub against Denmark.
As for Kompany, he returned to fitness after missing almost the entire group stage and his timely return was useful in the game against Brazil. Belgium will be hoping for another inspired performance from their veteran defender against France’s dangerous attack.
The Manchester City player who has shone at the World Cup is Kevin De Bruyne. After his scintillating season with Manchester City, De Bruyne played in all of his team’s games except the one against England.
De Bruyne played as one of the two midfield anchors initially but was deployed in a false 9 role against Brazil to immense effect. He scored the eventual winner against Brazil with a spectacular effort from outside the box.
Roberto Martinez will be planning to use De Bruyne in a similar role against France after seeing his side’s performance against a strong Brazil side.
#4. Liverpool - Dejan Lovren vs Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold
The entire England squad comprises of players from the Premier League and there is only one player in the Croatia squad who currently plays for a Premier League side and that’s Liverpool’s Dejan Lovren.
Lovren played alongside England’s Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold in the final of the UEFA Champions League at the end of May and will now play against each other in a World Cup semifinal.
Henderson and Lovren are often the fall guys at Liverpool and if someone told me a year ago that at least one of Henderson or Lovren will play in the finals of both the UEFA Champions League and FIFA World Cup, then I would have placed my bet against them.
Henderson and Lovren have been unsung heroes for their teams and are sure to start unless injury prevents them from doing so. As for young Alexander-Arnold, he played against Belgium in the group stage but has been kept out of the side by the impressive Kieran Trippier.
#3. PSG - Kylian Mbappe, Alphonse Areola and Presnel Kimpembe vs Thomas Meunier
There are four PSG players in France and Belgium squad combined with three of them representing France and one player representing Belgium.
Belgium is represented by Thomas Meunier but the Belgian is the only player missing either semi-final through suspension. His absence will be one of concern for Belgium as they need to find a way to stop his teammate Kylian Mbappe.
Mbappe has been one of France’s standout performers with three goals at the World Cup so far. The teenager scored against Peru and then ran rings around the Argentina defence before netting a brace.
PSG’s other French representatives at the World Cup are Areola and Kimpembe. Areola is the third choice goalkeeper and was unsurprisingly not used while Kimpembe’s only appearance was the 90 minutes he played against Denmark.
#2. Spurs - Hugo Lloris vs Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen and Moussa Dembele
Spurs are the most represented team in the semi-final with nine of their players representing one of England, Belgium and France.
Five of those nine players play for England including the regular starters Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Kieran Trippier.
In the other semi-final, Spurs players Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen are sure to start in defence for Belgium while Moussa Dembele may have a role to play off the bench.
The Belgians will be up against their club captain Hugo Lloris who also captain the France squad.
Spurs can be proud that so many of their players represent World Cup semi-finalists but it also means that many of their key players will miss a major part of the 2018 preseason.
#1. Chelsea - N’Golo Kante and Olivier Giroud vs Thibaut Courtois, Eden Hazard and Michy Batshuayi
There are a combined total of five Chelsea players in Belgium vs France semi-final with three players representing the former and two players representing the latter.
Four of these players are expected to start the semifinal and the only player likely to be on the bench is Michy Batshuayi. That basically sums up the Chelsea career of these five players.
N’Golo Kante has played every minute of every game so far, including the full 90 minutes of the game against Denmark. He has been at his imperious best in all the games and will be hoping to keep Belgium’s dangerous forwards at bay in the semifinal.
Olivier Giroud didn’t start the game against Australia but has started and completed every game since even though he only has an assist to show for it. Giroud’s presence up top has helped create space for the likes of Mbappe and Griezmann which makes his inclusion in the starting lineup against Belgium more and more likely.
Chelsea’s Belgium contingent features their superstar Eden Hazard who has scored two and assisted two at the World Cup so far. The Blues' stopper Thibaut Courtois has played every minute of Belgium’s World Cup campaign and will undoubtedly start against France.
The last Chelsea player, Batshuayi, scored against Tunisia but the highlight of his World Cup was hitting the ball on to his own face off the post against England.
