Spain recuperated from a goal down to edge past France and book their spot in the EURO 2024 final. Spain won 2-1 in Munich; thanks to goals from Dani Olmo and Lamine Yamal.
This match set the competition’s joint-highest goalscorers to the least scorers left in the competition. However, the fact that fit Spain came closest to taking the lead early on was not surprising.
Lamine Yamal, the youngest player ever to play in a FIFA World Cup or EURO semi-final, sent a beautiful ball to the far post, but Fabián Ruiz couldn’t direct his header in the right direction.
Just four minutes later, France scored the game’s first goal. Kylian Mbappé gathered the ball on the left half of the penalty box prior to lifting a delightful cross onto the head of Randal Kolo Muani, who headed in Les Bleus’ fourth goal of the competition from short proximity.
A little more than a fourth of an hour after the fact, Spain had reestablished parity as well as finished the circle back.
Yamal became the youngest player to score a goal in the history of the EURO when he pulled Spain level with a stunning curling finish after picking up the ball outside the France penalty box.
Dani Olmo, who scored one goal and assisted on another in the quarterfinal match against Germany, scored again four minutes later, this time with a low shot that deflected off defender Jules Koundé and went past goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
With a perfectly timed sliding challenge, Nico Williams nearly scored the opening goal after getting off his line and dispossessing France’s player. However, France remained a threat at the other end, and just before the hour mark, Ousmane Dembélé’s shot from a tight angle was stopped by Unai Simón with a strong left arm.
With a quarter of an hour remaining, Theo Hernández converted a loose ball inside the area and sent it flying over the crossbar, missing their best chance to level the score.
Mbappé also came close with a fiery drive that missed the bar, but Didier Deschamps’ team couldn’t get a late break as Spain held on to reach their fifth EURO final in the tournament.
The National Team Is The Love Of My Life – Cristiano Ronaldo
On Sunday, July 14, Spain will face either England or the Netherlands in the final in Berlin.
Statistics:
France exit the competition with their heads held high, but this was La Roja’s night.
Spain have been successful in five of their six EURO semi-finals. Their only exit at this stage was their penalty shoot-out defeat against Italy at EURO 2020.
As well as the youngest EURO goalscorer, Yamal (16 years and 362 days) also surpassed Pelé’s record (17 years and 244 days) as the youngest player to appear in a World Cup or EURO semi-final.
Spain are the first team to win six straight matches at a EURO final tournament without a penalty shoot-out.
