In a thrilling semi on Tuesday July 9, Spain🇪🇸 defeated France🇫🇷 2:1 to advance to the Euro 2024 final.
The blockbusting encounter threw-up Spain’s Lamine Yamal, who, at just 17 years, as the youngest striker in the history of the European Championship.
Yamal scored a magnificent goal from outside the box to put his name in the record books after Randal Kolo Muani nodded in Kylian Mbappe‘s cross to give France an early lead.
After Yamal’s goal in the 21st minute, Dani Olmo‘s effort was turned in by France defender Jules Kounde four minutes later to give Spain the lead.
After an exciting first half, France had to come out trying as hard as they could. They did so, with Mbappe’s bold attempt rejected and Aurelien Tchouameni‘s header saved.
But after a promising first half, Mbappé was particularly disappointing in the second period. In the final few minutes, a wayward shot that ended up high in the stands when he was well-placed inside the box summed up an underwhelming evening for the new Real Madrid star.
With their triumph on Tuesday, Spain became the first team to win six straight games in a European Championship competition.
Luis de la Fuente’s side will now face either the Netherlands or England, who play on Wednesday, in the final as Spain seeks a fourth Euros crown.
Player Of The Match
Yamal, who won the Player Of The Match award for his performance, celebrated his 17th birthday the day before the final and said his “goal” was to still be in Germany for the occasion.
“We were a goal down, and I just got the ball; I didn’t think about it much and then shot towards the goal,” he said
“We are very, very close. [We’re] with a lot of happiness. This team is unbelievable. We deserve it. One step away from glory.”
Impressive Spain
Few predicted Spain would win the competition, but La Roja has proven to be the strongest squad at Euro 2024, defeating host Germany in the quarterfinals after extra time.
Aside from Rodri‘s command of the midfield, Yamal and Nico Williams, a 21-year-old winger for Athletic Bilbao, have been two of the standouts of Spain’s tournament. These two young forwards will surely continue to be essential members of the national team in the years to come.
In contrast, France has needed help staying on top of the tournament, a problem several of the so-called larger teams have also experienced.
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