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France beat Uruguay 2-0 in the first World Cup quarter-final at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Friday to advance to the semi-finals. Raphael Varane opened the scoring with a header from a set-piece in the 40th minute before Antoine Griezmann doubled the lead at the hour mark.
This is the first time Les Bleus have reached the semi-finals since 2006. Here are the major talking points from the game.
#1 No Edinson Cavani, no party, as Cristhian Stuani fails to deliver
Uruguay's worst fears were confirmed when Edinson Cavani failed to make the teamsheet to start against France. Having suffered a muscular injury in the Round of 16 encounter against Portugal where he had hobbled off, the striker did not recover in time to start this game.
In his stead, Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez decided to start Cristhian Stuani up front alongside Luis Suarez. The move did not work.
Stuani wasn't able to exert the same influence as Cavani normally does. It isn't entirely his fault - he has barely ever started with Cavani and Suarez always getting the nod, be it competitive fixtures or friendlies.
The 31-year-old striker did win a couple of aerial duels in the final third but he struggled against France's central defenders in and around the box. He also failed to strike up a partnership with Suarez with passes going abegging.
Stuani was eventually withdrawn at the hour mark with Maxi Gomez coming on to replace him.
#2 Kylian Mbappe was France's focus in attack again
19-year-old Kylian Mbappe was always going to be the main focus for Uruguay's defence and his runs on the right flank only proved why.
Diego Laxalt had a tough time keeping him in check and Mbappe was able to find space to run into time and again. With or without the ball - it did not matter.
The only thing lacking for the France team in the first half was the final ball or a shot on target for the first 40 minutes. Olivier Giroud did set Mbappe up with a well-placed header in the box but the youngster panicked and attempted a header of his own instead of bringing it down and taking a shot considering he was unmarked.
Both Griezmann and Giroud tried to feed Mbappe when they received the ball - Giroud with his hold-up play and Griezmann with his movement in the centre to create space on the right.
But the first goal came via a free-kick in the 40th minute which saw Raphael Varane head home a Griezmann cross to give France the lead. It was their first and only shot on target in the first half.
#3 The partnership of Samuel Umtiti and Raphael Varane
On paper, it might seem like Spain had the better defence with one half of Real Madrid and Barcelona's central defenders playing in the same team in the form of Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique.
But not many considered the other half playing for France. And on the field, Raphael Varane and Samuel Umtiti have looked the better defensive pairing. Umtiti is 24 while Varane is only 25, but the two looked solid in central defence and looked like they had been playing together for years.
Varane's commanding presence and Umtiti's ball-playing abilities have come to the fore for France and they rarely ever panic in the box.
Of course, Uruguay's attack was blunted by the absence of Cavani but the pair not only kept Stuani and Suarez at bay but they also won headers in set-pieces - where Uruguay are at their most dangerous.
Along with the support of Lloris, the trio denied Uruguay any sniff on goal. In fact, the South American nation had no shots on target in the second half as France saw the game out.
#4 The greatest save vs the biggest blunder in goal at the World Cup
In essence, this match was a tale of two goalkeepers - France's captain Hugo Lloris and Uruguay's veteran 'keeper Fernando Muslera.
Both goalkeepers have played more than 100 matches each but it was the Tottenham goalkeeper Lloris who saved his side in the quarter-final while Muslera let his team down.
Uruguay's best chance to score in the first half came through a set-piece - as they usually do - when Martin Caceres directed a header goalward. It seemed like a certain goal but Lloris dived to his right to make what was arguably the save of the tournament.
He even had the presence of mind to get up and scramble for the rebound, throwing off an onrushing Diego Godin's aim as he blasted the ball off target from two yards out.
In contrast, Muslera was under no pressure to make a save from Griezmann's long-range strike. However, he completely misjudged its flight and only ended up punching the ball into his own net.
At 1-0, Uruguay were still in the game. But that mistake seemed to knock the stuffing out of them. David De Gea (vs Portugal) and Willy Caballero (vs Croatia) are right up there among the worst errors in this World Cup but the timing and occasion of Muslera's error makes it the worst.
#5 Didier Deschamps still looking to get France attacking freely
Make no mistake, France deserved to go through, but there is still the lingering suspicion that Les Bleus are still not playing to their full potential. Kylian Mbappe is making a name for himself at the World Cup but there is a feeling that the entire team can be better than the sum of their parts.
Paul Pogba will be disappointed not to have stamped his authority in midfield. While he did link defence and attack, he wasn't able to get into the final third as much as he would have liked against an Uruguay team that kept him in check - which is why Tolisso was probably more involved.
With all their attacks focused on the right flank or through the centre, France did not see much action on the left with only left-back Lucas Hernandez getting forward. Uruguay right-back Martin Caceres was hardly tested and that allowed him the freedom to get forward and get involved in attack numerous times.
Two goals against the best defensive side will lift France's confidence going into the semi-finals. But to make it to the final, they will need to polish their all-round game if they are to beat either Belgium or Brazil.
