Two opposing teams will meet in Tuesday's European Championship semi-final between Spain and France. The light-footed Spaniards on one side and the solid French on the other.
09.07.2024, 04:01
09.07.2024, 06:52
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- Five wins, eleven goals and three goals conceded - that's Spain's record at Euro 2024.
- France's figures look different: two wins in five games and three goals scored, one of which was a penalty and the other two own goals.
- On Tuesday evening, "Les Bleus" will be aiming to reach their fourth final in their fifth tournament since 2016.
If previous performances at this tournament were decisive in deciding a place in the final, the choice would fall on Spain. Luis de la Fuente's team have combined almost perfectly throughout this European Championship: five wins, eleven goals and three goals conceded. In the quarter-finals, Germany, the hosts and the second most frequently named title favorites after the preliminary round, were eliminated.
France, on the other hand, struggled through the tournament, somehow angling from round to round. Didier Deschamps' team, which is suffering painfully from the lack of form of its two key players in attack, Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann, has statistics that do not point to a semi-finalist: Two wins in five games and only three goals scored, one of them via penalties and the other two with own goals.
Deschamps is only superficially unconcerned by the poor offensive record. In the background, the 55-year-old is working on instilling confidence in his strikers. Goal-scoring is practised diligently in training and tactical adjustments have been made. So far, however, no change, either in terms of system or personnel, has been crowned with success. Against Portugal in the quarter-finals, the two players who were supposed to provide the most impetus were the weakest: Mbappé and Griezmann. The latter could pay for his disappointing performances with a place on the substitutes' bench. Ousmane Dembélé is available for Griezmann.
Spain's momentum
Unlike Deschamps, De la Fuente does not have to worry about his attack. It has been completely convincing so far. Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal form an impressive wing-back pairing and seize almost every opportunity to get into duels with the defenders. Pedri's absence was impressively compensated for by his replacement Dani Olmo against Germany. "We have very good momentum, we're in a good mood, we're playing very well and we have to keep it up," said Olmo, who plays for Leipzig.
Spain are full of optimism that they will win their fourth European Championship title after 1964, 2008 and 2012. At home, they are enthusiastic about their style of play and there is solidarity within the team. "I would die for them, just as they would die for me," assures 63-year-old de la Fuente, who coached Spain's U19s and U21s for almost ten years before his promotion within the association in 2022.
Spain's national coach will have to make changes in defense because Daniel Carvajal and Robin Le Normand are suspended. Le Normand, who normally forms the central defense together with the other French-born player Aymeric Laporte, will be replaced by Real Madrid's Nacho, while 38-year-old Jesus Navas will play on the right for Carvajal and thus face Mbappé most of the time.
France's winning mentality
In view of the performances so far, however, it can be assumed that there will be more frequent duels between Spanish attacking players and French defenders. It is a good thing for Deschamps' squad that they have been able to rely on the defense around the strong goalkeeper Mike Maignan. The World Cup runners-up have only conceded one goal so far - a penalty converted at the second attempt by Robert Lewandowski.
France are not magical, but they know how to win, even when things don't go their way. On Tuesday evening, "Les Bleus" will be aiming to reach their fourth final in their fifth tournament since 2016.
The possible line-ups:
Spain - France
Munich. - Referee Vincic (SLO)
Spain: 23 Simon; 22 Navas, 4 Nacho, 14 Laporte, 24 Cucurella; 16 Rodri; 10 Olmo, 8 Ruiz; 19 Yamal, 7 Morata, 17 Williams.
France: 16 Maignan; 5 Koundé, 4 Upamecano, 17 Saliba, 22 Hernandez; 13 Kanté, 8 Tchouaméni, 14 Rabiot; 11 Dembélé, 15 Thuram, 10 Mbappé.
Comments: Spain without Pedri (injured), Le Normand and Carvajal (both suspended). France complete.
