Spain has advanced to the UEFA EURO 2024 final, coming from behind to defeat France in Munich.
Match Summary: Spain’s Persistence Pays Off
In a clash between the tournament’s joint-highest scorers and the lowest scorers left in the competition, Spain, in red-hot form, initially came close to taking the lead. Lamine Yamal, the youngest player ever to appear in a EURO or FIFA World Cup semi-final, delivered a superb cross that Fabián Ruiz couldn’t convert.
France responded quickly, opening the scoring through Kylian Mbappé’s cross to Randal Kolo Muani, who headed in from close range. Spain, however, equalized and then took the lead within 15 minutes. Yamal scored a historic equalizer with a curling finish, becoming the youngest goalscorer in EURO history. Dani Olmo then netted the winning goal, his shot deflecting off Jules Koundé past Mike Maignan.
Maignan made a crucial save against Nico Williams early in the second half, while Unai Simón denied Ousmane Dembélé at the other end. France’s best chance to equalize came from Theo Hernández, who shot over the bar, and Mbappé, whose drive missed the target. Spain held on to secure their fifth EURO final appearance.
Vivo Player of the Match: Lamine Yamal (Spain)
“His fantastic equalizer was crucial in Spain’s comeback. At such a young age, he excels defensively, is a threat on the ball, and has formed a productive partnership with Jesús Navas on the right.” – UEFA Technical Observer Panel
Reactions
Luis de la Fuente, Spain coach: “I have faith in this group of players. They work tirelessly and are very generous in their efforts. This is an insatiable team, and I am grateful to lead 26 geniuses on the pitch.”
Lamine Yamal, Vivo Player of the Match: “I’m thrilled to be in the final, but the most important thing is to win it. Conceding early was unexpected, but my goal was exactly where I aimed. It was a feeling of pure elation.”
Dani Olmo, Spain midfielder: “We just need to take one more step now. It’s unbelievable. We deserve to be in the final. Lamine scored an incredible goal. It doesn’t matter who we play in the final.”
Nacho, Spain defender: “We knew the French team had genius players, but we were just as good. When we were losing, the youngest man on our team stepped up with a fantastic goal.”
Didier Deschamps, France coach: “Opening the scoring was great, but Spain mastered the game better. We didn’t play as vertically as I wanted. We pushed to the end, but it wasn’t enough.”
William Saliba, France defender: “We’re disappointed. We scored first but gave them two goals. They were better, and we have to accept that. We gave everything to get back, but it didn’t happen.”
Key Stats
- Yamal (16 years and 362 days) surpassed Pelé’s record as the youngest player to appear in a World Cup or EURO semi-final.
- Olmo is the first Spain player to score in three consecutive EURO matches.
- Jesús Navas (38 years and 231 days) became the oldest-ever outfield player in a semi-final of a major finals tournament.
- Spain is the first team to win six straight matches at a EURO final tournament without a penalty shoot-out.
- Spain has won their last eight matches in all competitions, their best streak since June 2010.
- Spain has only lost two of their last 13 EURO knockout ties.
- France was eliminated in a semi-final of a major finals tournament for the first time since EURO 1996.
- Excluding penalty shoot-outs, France has lost just two of their last 17 EURO matches.
Line-ups
Spain: Unai Simón; Jesús Navas (Vivian 58), Nacho, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Fabián Ruiz; Yamal (Ferran Torres 90+3), Olmo (Merino 76), Williams (Zubimendi 90+3); Morata (Oyarzabal 76)
France: Maignan; Koundé, Upamecano, Saliba, T. Hernández; Kanté (Griezmann 62), Tchouameni, Rabiot (Camavinga 62); Dembélé (Giroud 79), Kolo Muani (Barcola 62); Mbappé
Leave a Reply