REUTERS

Coach Didier Deschamps said France beat a good England side with their “heart and guts” on Saturday to move into the World Cup semi-finals and keep alive their hopes of back-to-back titles.

An Olivier Giroud header 12 minutes from time kept alive French hopes of becoming the first team in 60 years to retain the World Cup with a 2-1 win over England.

“It’s fabulous, it was a big game,” said Deschamps. “We played a superb England team who are strong technically and physically.

“It’s brilliant for the players to be in the last four again. In these moments you kind of wish time could stop for a while.

“But tonight we’re going to enjoy it. We got a bit lucky although we gave away two penalties. We kept our lead with our hearts and our guts.”

As Kylian Mbappe was being muzzled by the England defence, it was France’s old guard who took the defending champions through to the World Cup semi-finals in a nerve-racking victory.

Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, midfielder Antoine Griezmann and striker Olivier Giroud were all influential in a thrilling match, playing their roles close to perfection to see off an England team who were left thinking they deserved better.

Mbappe had stolen the limelight from him in France’s 3-1 win over Poland, adding a spectacular late double to Giroud’s opener, but on Saturday the 23-year-old happily took a back seat and was seen slapping his team mate’s face in sheer excitement after the decisive goal.

It was, possibly, the biggest takeaway from France’s victory. They can win when Mbappe does not shine or score, and his reaction to Giroud’s goal proved Deschamps’s point when he said he did not need to manage the Paris St Germain forward’s ego.

France next face Morocco, with Mbappe set to battle it out with club team mate and great friend Achraf Hakimi, as Les Bleus look to become the first team to retain their World Cup title since Brazil in 1962.

No team have reached two consecutive finals since Brazil in 2002.