Spain is moving on to the final at Euro 2024, defeating France, 2-1, in Tuesday’s semifinal match at Munich Football Arena in Germany.
Spain wins and advances to the final
FINAL: Spain 2, France 1
Spain is heading back to the Euros championship for the first time since 2012. La Roja took down France, 2-1, in Tuesday’s semifinal match.
France got on the board first in Tuesday’s match, getting a goal in the ninth minute off a header from Randal Kolo Muani. It marked France’s first open play goal of the tournament, and it also served as its final goal of Euro 2024.
Not long after France took the lead, Spain answered back. First, Lamine Yamal scored on an impressive strike from several yards outside the box in the 21st minute. The 16-year-old made history with the goal as well, becoming the youngest goal scorer ever in Euros history. Dani Olmo added the second goal not long after in the 25th minute, controlling a loose ball in the box before firing a shot that ricocheted off France’s Jules Koundé and went in the net. It was initially ruled an own goal, but was later switched to a goal for Olmo, giving him four goals in the tournament and pole position for the Golden Boot.
France didn’t get many great opportunities in the second half. It only had two shots on goal after its opening score, with its scoring struggles from much of its first five matches of the tournament carrying over into Tuesday’s match.
For Spain, it’ll play in its first final of a major tournament since its federation’s golden years. It defeated Italy in its last appearance in the final of a Euros championship, winning 4-0 in 2012.
Spain will take on the winner of Wednesday’s Netherlands-England match as it seeks its fourth Euro title.
Lamine Yamal picks up late yellow
90′ +1”: Spain 2, France 1
France had some opportunities to level the match later on in the second half. Kylian Mbappé had a prime chance in the 86th minute, but his shot sailed over the net.
Prior to another opportunity off a free kick, Lamine Yamal picked up a yellow card as he was pulling on Theo Hernández’s uniform. Yamal was subbed off shortly after.
Lamine Yamal searching for his second goal
81′: Spain 2, France 1
After scoring an impressive goal to become the youngest goal scorer in Euros history in the first half, Lamine Yamal looked to add a second such goal in the second half. He went into the box and fired a shot off that just went over the net, unable to extend Spain’s lead.
France makes a trio of key substitutions
63′: Spain 2, France 1
Didier Deschamps made a mass switch just over 15 minutes into the second half, subbing three players in the game. He took out France’s lone goal scorer in the match at that point, Randal Kolo Muani, along with N’Golo Kanté and Adrien Rabiot. Antoine Griezmann, Bradley Barcola and Eduardo Camavinga each entered the match.
Simón with the risky stop
60′: Spain 2, France 1
Ousmane Dembélé had a good rush in the 60th minute to try and get France the equalizer. His ball was stopped by Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón, who made a risky move leaning to his right while sticking his hand out to the left to prevent a goal.
France searching for the equalizer
53′: Spain 2, France 1
France had one of its best chances to score its second goal early on in the second half. After getting a corner kick, Ousmane Dembélé’s ball into the box found Aurélien Tchouaméni. Tchouaméni got his head on it and got a shot on goal, but Unai Simón was able to make the stop.
Spain carries 2-1 lead into halftime
Halftime: Spain 2, France 1
There weren’t any goals in the 20-plus minutes after Spain took the lead, but the first 25 minutes of Tuesday’s match were action-packed. All three shots on goal in the first half found the back of the net, with France getting its first open-play goal of the tournament in the eighth minute.
Spain followed that up by scoring twice in five minutes. Lamine Yamal evened up the match when he became the youngest goal-scorer in Euro history in the 21st minute. Dani Olmo helped give Spain the lead in the 25th minute with his strike finding the net.
Much of the soccer world was still in awe of Yamal’s goal by the halftime arrived.
Spain takes the lead just minutes after equalizer
25′: Spain 2, France 1
Spain remained aggressive after its game-tying goal early on in the first half. As the ball bounced around in the box following a cross, Dani Olmo was able to get control of it. Shortly after he gained possession of the ball, Olmo fired a shot on goal that slightly ricocheted off France’s Jules Koundé and into the net to give Spain a 2-1 lead.
Lamine Yamal makes history and helps Spain tie the match
21′: Spain 1, France 1
Spain didn’t take too long to respond to France’s opening goal. Lamine Yamal somehow found the back of the next on a strike from several yards from outside the box as the ball hit the inner part of the post to help it go for a goal.
With the goal, Yamal became the youngest goal scorer ever in Euro history. The 16-year-old will turn 17 on Saturday.
France finally gets first open play goal of tourney to take early lead
9′: France 1, Spain 0
After failing to score an open-play goal in the first five matches of Euro 2024, France scored its first such goal in the opening minutes of its semifinal match. A maskless Kylian Mbappé perfectly placed a cross from the edge of the box into the center for Randal Kolo Muani, who got his head on the ball for the early goal.
So close for the youngster
5′: Spain 0, France 0
Lamine Yamal made history with his start in Tuesday’s match. At 16, Yamal became the youngest player to appear in a semifinal match of a World Cup or Euros match.
Yamal nearly marked the occasion in a special way. He put the ball in a good spot on a cross in the fifth minute, but the header airmailed the net.
The starting XI’s
There weren’t any major surprises with the starting XI’s for each squad ahead of Tuesday’s match. Kylian Mbappé is in the starting lineup as he’s battled his nose injury throughout the tournament.
