Spain vs France Match - in the Euro 2024 semi-final - Dilta Sport

Dilta SportSportSpain vs France Match – in the Euro 2024 semi-final

Spain vs France Match – in the Euro 2024 semi-final

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Spain and France meet in the Euro 2024 semi-final on Tuesday, and in all three previous knockout stage games between them at the tournament, the winners have gone on to become European champions.
Despite clashing for the first time in 1922, their first competitive meeting arrived over 60 years later when after 19 friendly games, they both reached the 1984 Euro final.
Michel Platini had scored eight goals in France’s four games on the way to the final, including two hat-tricks, and his free kick broke the deadlock against Spain, thanks to a goalkeeping disaster.
After a scoreless first half, France were awarded a free kick just outside the area 12 minutes after the break. Platini stepped up and curled his low effort around the Spanish wall but his shot never looked like finding the net.
Luis Arconada, Spain’s keeper and captain, was covering that side of the goal and appeared to catch the strike comfortably but somehow let the ball squirm out of his grasp as he hit the ground and watched in despair as it rolled slowly over the line.

SPAIN TEAM NEWS: DEFENSIVE HEADACHES

It has been quite a settled eleven for Luis de la Fuente but he has some suspension issues for this one. In an ideal world, Nacho Fernandez would likely have been understudy to the suspended Dani Carvajal but the fact that Robin Le Normand is also unavailable means that Nacho will probably play at the heart of the defence alongside Aymeric Laporte with 38-year-old Jesus Navas coming in at right-back.

Another issue for Spain to deal with is the injury to Pedri that occurred early on against Germany but his replacement, Dani Olmo, is in excellent form at the moment.

PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Unai Simon; Jesus Navas, Nacho, Laporte, Cucurella; Dani Olmo, Rodri, Fabian Ruiz; Lamine Yamal, Alvaro Morata, Nico Williams

UNAVAILABLE: Le Normand (Suspended), Dani Carvajal (Suspended), Pedri (Injured)

QUESTIONABLE:

FRANCE TEAM NEWS: RABIOT BACK IN

Adrien Rabiot is likely to come back into the France eleven for this semi-final. The Juventus midfielder missed the quarter-final with Portugal due to suspension but he should return in place of Eduardo Camavinga. The other selection issue for Deschamps will be Kylian Mbappe.

The France captain is suffering with a broken nose and is clearly uncomfortable in his mask and was substituted in extra-time against the Portuguese. It would remain a shock, though, to see Mbappe not feature from the start against Spain.

Ousmane Dembele’s impressive impact off the bench against Portugal, which even led to him being named Player of the Match, may have given Deschamps a dilemma in attack but Dembele’s previous performances from the start may mean that Deschamps sees Dembele as what he was against Portugal – an impact player.

PREDICTED XI (4-1-2-1-2): Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Hernandez; Tchouameni; Kante, Rabiot; Griezmann; Mbappe, Thuram

UNAVAILABLE:

QUESTIONABLE: Mbappe (Injured)

SPAIN VS FRANCE PREDICTION

Spain have been brilliant at this tournament and have come a long way since Luis de la Fuente came under significant pressure following their 2-0 loss to Scotland in March 2023. However, the UEFA Nations League champions of last summer will head into this semi-final against a smart, efficient, albeit frustratingly dull French side with a 38-year-old at right-back, two centre-backs playing their club football in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Chelsea’s scapegoat at left-back and a goalkeeper who often makes high profile mistakes and would have been at the centre of another humiliation if Kai Havertz had converted from his wayward goal-kick in the last eight. France have not been good and yet they have conceded just one goal in this tournament – a penalty against Poland, and even that had to be retaken. Spain have a lot of talent that will likely dominate tournaments in the years to come but it makes sense to side with Europe’s inevitable force.

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