Belgium, England to clash again

Moscow: Belgium and England have already met during the World Cup in a match both teams seemed reluctant to win and on Saturday they will face each other again in a game they both seem reluctant to play.

The two sides must pick themselves up and dust themselves down after suffering the crushing disappointment of semi-final defeats to play for the modest prize of third place in a fixture often criticised as pointless.

"It's not a game any team wants to play," said England manager Gareth Southgate after his team lost 2-1 to Croatia after extra time in Wednesday's second semi-final.

"Of course, we want to win, we'll be ready to go again because the team take great pride in their performances. It's a bit too early after that defeat to think about it."

His Belgian counterpart Roberto Martinez was similarly unenthused about the game after his side were beaten 1-0 by France on Tuesday.

"It’s a difficult emotion to manage. You’re disappointed because you lose the semi-final, and it’s very difficult to see the opportunity of playing another game as a positive," he said.