Who Will Win The World Cup 2018 Semi Finals?

The final four are known to the world, and perhaps two are a surprise to the world. But you don't get this far in a tournament without knocking in a few goals and helping knockout a few teams.

Here's how The Armchair envisaged this stage of the proceedings would look when he entered his predictions before the tournament started:

And here's how the actual semi-final line-up looks like:

FRANCE v BELGIUM
ENGLAND v CROATIA

So, in a topsy turvy tournament in which many a big team has fallen by the wayside early doors, the Armchair was 50% correct. Not bad.

But given this new line up, how does the Armchair see these ties shaping up?

OUCH! Yes, that is the sound of The Armchair plucking splinters from its undercarriage as he rests upon the fence. He believes both ties will be close and heading into extra time. He is sticking with BELGIUM to make the final, and thinks CROATIA will make it three out of three successful penalty shoot outs. But what a great Third Place Match that will leave us with!

THEY FINISHED 7TH: BRAZIL

The Armchair doesn't want to sound arrogant, but he has great difficulty in understanding those who thought Brazil would win this World Cup. Even reaching the final should not have been entertained.

The same with Germany and Argentina. They might be big names from the history of the World Cup, but none of them had shown any kind of form coming into the competition, and all were player for player weaker than at least three other big teams, Spain, France and Belgium.

Neymar did OK but is an habitual faker, and in this tournament all that fakery has caught up with them. Penalties they might have falsely earned in the past have been wiped out by VAR. The culture of diving and faking needs to change if these nations are ever to enjoy success on the world stage again.

Brazil seemed to learn that lesson in the second half against Belgium, where chasing the game meant they couldn't afford to waste time on the fakery. But Belgium outclassed them and gave them a taste of their own medicine, winding down the clock and winding up the Brazilians with a little dose of fakery.

What goes round...

THEY FINISHED 8TH: URUGUAY

With a population half that of London's, it's incredible how many good footballers Uruguay produces per head. Unfortunately one of their best ones was forced to sit out this tie, and it proved crucial as they lacked any sort of offensive threat without him and were simply guided out of the tournament by a superior French team.

Never a team to score a goal fest, they base their success on solid defence and inspired attack. But Suarez hasn't had a brilliant World Cup. And Cavani looked like he was moving into gear before his injury scuppered his nation's hopes.

World Cup Quarter Final: France 2-0 Uruguay

Oh, Cavani, where were thee? Your nation needed ye, and there you were injured.

A shadow of the team they were without you, never looked likely to score, and now homeward bound, while France dance on into the final (you need to bring more fans to the next game, though).

The Armchair predicted that France would reach the World Cup Semis and so it has proved. They never looked under threat today, though the Uruguayan keeper will not sleep well tonight, playing over and over the mistake that helped ensure his nation's hopes slipped through his fingers.

Another former winner of the World Cup gone, leaving just France and two others, Brazil and England. And the Armchair predicts we will lose another in tonight's game...

ROUND OF 16: France 4-3 Argentina

The day Messi took a back seat and Mbappe came of age. A seven goal thriller, which Argentina took close to extra time. But the French ran out deserved winners, their second from Pavard, a right back, a veritable stunner and strong candidate for goal of the tournament. It’s taken a while for France to get into gear, and Argentina were never really firing here, but take nothing away, this French side looks like it’s got the ingredients to win it. 

World Cup 2018 GROUP C FINAL GAMES: France 0-0 Denmark; Australia 0-2 Peru

The Armchair is aware of how much of a yawnfest the first 0-0 of the tournament was. There had to be one, and it had to involve the team The Armchair has predicted to finish the highest scorers in the tournament. 0-0 was enough to take France and Denmark through, given that Australia lost to the already eliminated Peru, who will be left wondering, what if they hadn’t skied that penalty in the first game!

World Cup 2018: France 1-0 Peru

Armchair regulars will recognise how difficult their host is finding watching these 4pm kick offs. 

The winner in this was scrappe by Mbappe and condemns a team I had high hopes for to an early exit. 

Peru’s fans have really made an impact in this World Cup, even if their team has let them down on the pitch. 

They have travelled in massive numbers, some 40,000 at this game, with some even giving up their jobs to watch their team. Now that’s commitment. The Armchair wouldn’t even give up his seat to watch his team. 

France won this, and have gone through, but have yet to do anything in this tournament worthy of note.

The Armchair Predicted

France 2-1 Peru

15 and 7

World Cup 2018: France 2-1 Australia

VAR takes a bow, but did Griezmann take a dive? Even with the tech it was difficult to tell.  But 21st Century tech finally meets the World Cup, with goal line technology even needing to be employed here too.

Whatever, this was a slightly annoying game, terrible in comparison with last night's 3-3 thriller.

And what an awful diver, play actor and injury faker Lucas Hernandez is. The cheat fully deserved to be booed every time he touched the ball, for consistently acting like he'd been shot, not shoved, disembowelled not dispossessed. The sort of player who gives footballers a bad name. And Aussies brought up on Aussie Rules and Rugby will have nothing but disdain for his sort.

A case could have been made for the Aussies taking a point from this, which they would have deserved. As it is, France just about did enough to get their World Cup campaign off to a stuttering but 3 point start.

The Armchair Predicted
France 3-1 Australia

5 right, 0 wrong

Who Will Reach The 2018 World Cup Final?

It's worth bearing in mind that the Armchair correctly predicted 75% of the World Cup 2014 semi-finalists as evidenced if you click on this sentence.

The Armchair has predicted the following World Cup Semi-Finals and sees them panning out a bit like this:

FRANCE v SPAIN

A match up fit to be a final. Both teams have been in great form throughout the tournament, and pundits are split 50/50 on who will emerge victorious. Griezmann is on for tournament top scorer, Spain have played well as a team. This one’s going to penalties, where the tears will be les bleus. SPAIN TO WIN.

BELGIUM v SENEGAL

Billed as a festival of flair, the game is actually tight, nerves taking hold among two teams who know they are one step away from the biggest game of their lives. It is decided in favour of the team that packs the most international experience and expectation. BELGIUM TO WIN.

World Cup 2018 Predictions: Who Will Win The World Cup 2018 Quarter Finals?

The Armchair has predicted the following quarter finals in World Cup 2018. And without use of tarot cards or crystal balls, sees the following happening…

World Cup 2018 Quarter Final Predictions

RUSSIA v FRANCE

Home nation nerves will be jangling. Expectation as high as a Russian cosmonaut orbiting the world. Cup fever gripping everyone from the Kremlin to the Crimea. For France, they are where they expect to be. Mixing it in the latter stages of a tournament quite a few fancy them to win. And win this game they shall. FRANCE TO WIN

SPAIN v PERU

There are always tales of the unexpected in every tournament (Iceland in Euro 2016, Brazil’s thrashing in 2014) and Peru are shaping up to be 2018’s instalment. Although people in the know know they are good enough to get here. But good enough to beat a still strong Spain? Not quite, for me. SPAIN TO WIN.

BRAZIL v BELGIUM

What a final this would have made. Two teams packed with big names and both getting into the groove in this tournament, winning their groups and their first knockout. But the draw machine has brought them together in this pick of the quarter finals. And, although it will be tighter than neutrals might hope for, it goes to extra time, and once again, Brazilian dreams are shattered by a European team. Narrowly this time.

BELGIUM TO WIN.

GERMANY v SENEGAL

Let’s remember, Germany weren’t in great form coming into the tournament, and they haven’t been brilliant during it. And by now, Senegal have been battling with Peru to become everyone’s second favourite team. There are no neutrals in the stadium. All non-Germans want to see Senegal win this. And although head has an inkling for Germany, I’m going with the heart. SENEGAL TO WIN.

World Cup 2018 Predictions: Which teams will make the quarter finals?

The Armchair World Cup 2018 predicts these will be the last 8 teams left standing in the tournament:

RUSSIA v FRANCE

SPAIN v PERU

BRAZIL v BELGIUM

GERMANY v SENEGAL

Who Will Win In The World Cup Round of 16? Top half of draw predictions

Based on my group finishing predictions, the top half of the World Cup 2018 Round of 16 shapes up like this:

RUSSIA v PORTUGAL

Ronaldo won’t be 100%. Russia will be driven by a passionate home crowd. Portugal peaked in 2016. Russia want this really bad. RUSSIA TO WIN

FRANCE v ARGENTINA

Such a big game so early on. But to win the World Cup you’ve got to beat the biggies some time. France are angry at losing the Euro 2016 final in their own back yard. Argentina aren’t amazing. This will go to extra time though. Possibly penalties. FRANCE TO WIN

SPAIN v URUGUAY

Another classic match-up. Hard to call. Big names clashing all over the park. But Spain still has the edge. The quality. A new generation hungry to follow in the footsteps of the 2010 legends. Here’s where they start to write their own history. SPAIN TO WIN

CROATIA v PERU

Intriguing. Peru perhaps the biggest unknowns of my Predicted Round of 16 teams. The pressure will be on Croatia. Close to home. Closer to glory. They can see the lights of the quarter finals from here. But Peru are ultra relaxed. In glory land and loving it. Winning fans in Russia. And they take this to penalties. A pure lottery and pure is an anagram of the team that will come out on top. PERU TO WIN

Who Will Win World Cup 2018 Group C

The World Cup 2018 Group C teams

AUSTRALIA

DENMARK

FRANCE

PERU

C rhymes with easy, sort of. And France with advance. In short, France should advance with ease from Group C's fixtures. That's poetry, that. Expectations will be high that les bleus serve up a hat-trick of victories in a group that’s theirs to lose. That isn't poetry, that.

Peru rhymes with woo-hoo and I’m thinking they could have something to celebrate. Why not them beating Australia and drawing against Denmark and going through on goal difference.

Denmark rhymes with When, Narked (yes, the idea is straining a little now), but the Danes will be feeling the pain of group stage exit I fear. Can't see them beating anyone in this group. A couple of draws and a loss to France.

Australia rhymes with nothing relevant, and I fear nothing is what the Aussies will leave Russia with. Always plucky and with no real opportunity to partake in ball tampering, it’s unlikely the green and golds will be winning any gold on the green fields of Russia.

My World Cup 2018 Group C prediction

1: FRANCE

2: PERU

3: Denmark

4: Australia