Barney Ronay on France
Sid Lowe on Lamine Yamal
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Jonathan Liew’s report is with us.
Which means we’re finished here. Thanks for your company and comments, sorry I couldn’t use them all – it’s been a night. We’ll be back tomorrow, first with the Tour, the Test and Wimbledon, then it’ll be time for the other semi – I forget who’s in it. But until then, peace out.
What then, of Didier Deschamps? He can die happy knowing he led his country to the World Cup, but it’s hard to think he got the most he could from a hilariously strong squad. I’d be surprised if he sticks around as France manager, and I’d be excited to see what someone else makes of these players.
Looking again at the Morata knock, it doesn’t look that bad. But his is not a happy face, and we can only hope he’s fine for the final.
There’s also something so beautiful about a moment that you immediately know will be eternal. And Lamine’s goal was that and plenty, a young man advising the world that it now belongs to him. Suddenly it’s not just him who’s 16, it’s all of us.
Lamine Yamal, though. What I love about his goal is the way he gulls the defenders into thinking he’s going on the outside, because he already knows he’s going inside. You see fine players with loads of ability who make stuff up on the hoof – Marcus Rashford is one – but the very best have decided long before the ball arrives.
Adrien Rabio is a prophet! Alternatively, never ever offer out Football.
🗣️ Adrien Rabiot before the match: "If Lamine wants to play in the final he will have to do more things than he has done so far."
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) July 9, 2024
Lamine Yamal on IG this morning: pic.twitter.com/sC2aCrMlR5
Gosh, we see footage of a photographer slipping and nailing Morata, who’s feeling his knee. Let’s hope he’s fine and doesn’t suffer a Roy Swinburne – the former Wolves striker hurdles photographers at Kenilworth road in 1954 and never played again.
Whoever won tonight were going to be favourites in the final, and Spain are a terrible match-up for whichever of England and Holland get through to face them. They’ve won every game in the tournament – six all told – and the way they keep the ball and manipulate space will be a nightmare for teams who are rigid and stretched in midfield.
France gave it everything, but ultimately Spain’s extra flair got them the lead and they defended it superbly. I guess a different kind of France might’ve had the cohesion to create more – their biggest chances of the second half came from set-pieces – but Rodri, Fabian Ruiz and the back four were gigantic.
FULL TIME: Spain 2-1 France
Lamine Yamal sends Spain into the final of Euro 2024! What a player, what a goal and what a match!
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90+6 min On the touchline, the Spain bench are serried, ready to celebrate…
90+5 min The Spanish fans olé every successful pass, and their team have done brilliantly disappearing these last 10 minutes. I’m pretty sure those of us with no dog in this fight would love an equaliser and extra time, but the idea that the game be won by an immortalworldy from a 16-year-old is a joyous thing.
90+4 min Two more changes for Spain, Zubimendi and Ferran Torres replacing Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams.
90+3 min Spain knock it about, Rodri and Ruiz to the fore, and what a pair they are, the most brutish artists you could ever hope to enjoy. Rodri, in particular, is a generational great, and at 28 he’s not even nearly finished.
90+1 min Griezmann picks out Upamecano at the back post, but by the time the ball arrives at him, it’s lost all its pace and Merino does enough to win the goalkick, at cost of an arm to the coupon.
90 min We’ll have five added minutes.
90 min Now Cucurella appears on the left wing, crossing low, and Kounde, who’s had a good game blocks behind. A corner is everything France don’t want but Williams doesn’t go shot, he crosses and Giroud heads clear, Hernandez driving forward … so Lamine hauls him back before Laporte stands his ground. Lamine is booked and Griezmann will now stick one into the box from 40 yards away.
90 min Camavinga is late on Cucurella; he’s booked.
88 min Credit to both sides for this second half: France have stepped up their aggression and hurled everything they can at this, while Spain have defended the box and the space just in front of it with spite and joy.
86 min Barcola drops off to control on his chest, turning and sliding Mbappe in behind! He runs at Merino, shifting it to conjure a yard, and looks to be seeking the far corner … only to change his mind and whip towards the near post … and well over the top. That was a difficult chance, but he ought to have done better with it that that. It’s intense out there, both sides nervous: Spain don’t want to lose what they have, and France can’t countenance the concept of losing.
85 min Looking woozy, Laporte is helped off, and he receives more treatment o the touchline. But he’ll be back with us soon, I shouldn’t wonder.
83 min Laporte runs into Giroud’s shoulder, nose-first, and takes a fair old zetz. He’s down receiving treatment.
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83 min Whoever wins here, if they play to similar standard in the final, England or Netherlands have a problem.
82 min Again, Lamine nips inside and again he looks for the far top corner, this time finding the shape but not the dip. He’s quite good at association football.
81 min “I always sing Gamst Pedersen to the chorus of Bad Medicine by Bon Jovi,” admits Matt Taylor.
80 min Barcola looks dangerous and he isolates Nacho then eases past, the defenders using every fibre of corporeality to slide in and make the challenge. The eventuating corner comes to nothing.
79 min Another change for France, Giroud on for Dembele. Part of me wonders about removing a crosser to stick on a target man, but I guess there’s no other option without going three at the back.
78 min Nice from Barcola, who finds Hernandez, but when he cuts back, Mbappe, pulling out of the box, is surrounded.
76 min Double change for Spain: Merino and Oyarzabal for Morata and Olmo.
76 min Barcola into Greizmann, who crosses to the far post where Dembele tickles back. A poor touch from Vivian then allows Camavinga to slide in, poking the ball across for Hernandez, on the edge, and with his wrong foot he curls over the top. That wasn’t as good a chance as Jermaine Jenas seems to think it was, but at this stage, if France lose it’ll haunt the nightmares of his grandchildren.
74 min “I heard a Frenchman pronounce Bradley Barcola’s first name with three syllables and it immediately brought ‘Rum and Coca-Cola’ to mind,” offers Kári Tulinius.
Like Arsenal singing “Samir Naz-er-ree” to Baby Give It Up.
73 min Dembele swings out but too far out, and Spain bring the ball away.
72 min France are pushing Spain back now, or Spain are sitting back now, or a bit of both. But with 983 defenders in the box, Mbappe can’t fight his way through, and I wonder if it might need a set-piece to create an equaliser; as I type, France win a corner.
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71 min Barcola gets on the ball in space and makes straight for Vivian, oozing past him on the outside. By way of punishment, he wears a little kick – a kicklet – but can’t find the cross he needs.
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70 min Cucurella finds Williams down the left, who plays him back in, but Dembele does really well to chase back and make the tackle.
68 min The more time elapses, the more Spain are playing for the final whistle, looking to keep the ball rather than pass it aggressively. It makes some sense, but against a side looking to counter-press and with Tchouameni and Camvinga in midfield, it’s also risky.
67 min It’s gone a little scrappy, which I don’t think will upset either team: Spain will feel it burns time, while France are looking to milk any chaos they can create.
66 min “Thank you for mentioning Italy v West Germany, a match that for my dad’s generation epitomised the essence of a thriller,” writes Giovanni Cafagna. “Rivera, who had won the Balon d’Or the year before, scored the winner after a match fought technically and physically at the highest level, that only Brazil and Pelè in the final, would make it an even better game. I was one at the time, but my dad remembered it well and it was my favourite bedtime story. He’s not around anymore, and there’s a tear going down my cheek. Happy memories.”
Nothing gets our eyeballs sweating like football.
64 min Barcola has gone to the left wing, which makes some sense, but I wonder if Mbappe might find it harder to create space in the middle of the pitch.
63 min And at the back post, Upamecano is up and heading down, but he doesn’t get enough on it, the ball bouncing up and to safety.
62 min Triple change for France: off go Kante, Rabiot and Kolo Muani; on come Griezmann, Barcola and Camavinga, in time for a France corner.
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61 min “I can’t hear Cucurella without singing it to the Gipsy Kings’ Bamboléo,” admits Pat Cousins.
61 min Tchouameni is late on Morata; he’s booked.
60 min Williams megs Kounde, who does a really good job of closing off space with his body – excellent defending. And immediately, France attack down the right, Dembele crossing hard and Simon shovelling away.
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58 min Vivian, by the way is a centre-back – if I were Deschamps which, for avoidance of doubt, I’m not, I’d be ordering a midfielder to be alongside Mbappe whenever possible to create an overload.
57 min More ill luck for Spain, Vivian replacing Jesus Navas, who looks to be injured. On the plus side, though, his eyes still look banging.
56 min Ruiz plays a lovely speculative pass, low and curling into space behind Kounde. He does just enough to edge out Williams who, though he’s quick, has legs on him.
55 min Does anyone have songs to which they can’t help but sing a footballer’s name? I have it with Tchouameni and this.
53 min And he curls in a decent corner too, Tchouameni dashing in to head over. That wasn’t a bad chance.
51 min Lovely control from Dembele, killing a crossfield pass beautifully before passing a cross into Unai Simon’s grateful arms. The first time I saw him play, in a pre-season friendly for Dortmund, I thought i’d seen a superstar, but he hasn’t been able to stay fit enough for long enough nor improve enough. he does, though, still have time.
51 min “This is my third France v Spain game,” confides my colleague Philip Cornwall. “I was in Bruges for the 2000 quarter-final when Raul missed a penalty for 2-2 and in Hannover for the last 16 in 2006 when Thierry Henry fell over. Now this. Hasn’t been cheap but I feel I am getting my money’s worth each time. More than for France v Belgium, anyway.”
Goodness me, I’m still experiencing residual boredom from those games to this day, and all I did was watch them on telly. Enjoy!
50 min Olmo out to the overlapping Cucurella, who flashes one of those low crosses across the box, and Saliba does well to get to it before Morata. Currently, Spain look the likelier.
48 min “Sending defenders to the shop,” begins Michael Meagher. “Apparently Frank Quinn missed the Wales-Belgium match in Euro 2016.
Aha, the night Hal Robson-Kanu channelled the combined might of his surname.
46 min into Morata, who finds Williams, and out of nowhere, Maignan charges way out of his goal to slide in … and make the challenge. I guess that was good keeping, but it was very nearly catastrophic keeping because really Williams should’ve nipped around him – and he’s now stretching out his groin.
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46 min We go again. Dare we hope for more of the same?
At 16 years, 362 days, Lamine Yawal is the youngest man to score in the European Championship finals but he is 11 days older than Isabell Herlovsen when she scored for Norway against France during the 2005 UEFA Women's Euro in Warrington (16 years, 351 days) #ESPFRA #Euro2024 pic.twitter.com/cZbd2tQWRV
— Asif Burhan (@AsifBurhan) July 9, 2024
“Not sure how you’re omitting the 2022 World Cup from your classic tournament list,” chides Edward Graves. “There was drama in almost all of the final group-stage and knockout matches. Late Croatia equaliser to take Brazil to penalties? Kane missing a penalty to fall to France? Morocco reducing Ronaldo to tears? And then of course the most frenetic conclusion to a final in my memory.”
England v France was the only game that I thought was of a semi-decent standard, and I guess I’m differentiating between quality and drama. I enjoyed the final, obviously, but relative to Brazil v France and Italy v Germany? Not so much.
“It would not be surprising if this turns into a classic as you’ve said,” writes Espen Bommen, “considering France have arguably been involved in some of the greatest games of all time. Against Brazil twice and West Germany once, the Schumacher/Battiston assault. Of course there is still the possibility that all this is nothing compared to the spectacle that awaits us tomorrow….”
France v Brazil, you say? I watched it during lockdown and couldn’t believe it was even better than I remembered.
Half-time email: “Not since Liam Brady’s goal in against Brazil have I seen so many defenders sent to the shops by a dummy before scoring! writes Frank Quinn. “Absolute class.”
HALF-TIME: Spain 2-1 France
There’s something very special about experiencing something that, in the moment, you know will last for ever. But this is that, so let’s all take care to appreciate it as much as we possibly can.
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45 min We’ll have two added minutes. I’m not sure how that’s possible, given three goals and two bookings, nor why anyone wants to deprive themselves, never mind us, of more of this. But it feels churlish to complain, so all I can do is complain.
45 min Lovely stuff: the first Spain goal has now been credited to Olmo, who now has three and two assists, so sits ahead of Cody Gakpo with three and one.
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44 min Better ball in this time, and Big Alvaro Morata is up to head clear. Maybe he’s actually been trying to defend all this time.
42 min Spain knock it about – I daresay they’d also settle for half-time now – and the crowd cheer every successful pass. But France win the ball back and move forward, Morata openalised for handball when challenging Hernandez, so Dembele will now stick the free-kick into the box.
41 min Williams swings in and Maignan – who I’m beginning to think might be the best keeper in the world – comes to claim well.
40 min Or not nowt! Williams suddenly finds himself in space down the left and he eases on to the gas, spreading to Lamine, who tries another curler, which this time is blocked behind.
39 min France win a free-kick down the right which Dembele will swing out. But at the back post and with Upamecano poised, Navas inserts himself between man and ball to concede a corner … which comes to nowt.
37 min No doubt we all have different ideas as to what constitutes a classic tournament. But one of my principal stipulations is the need for classics at the end, and I’m not sure we’ve had that since the 2006 World Cup. The portents here, though, are good.
36 min Again, Lamine is the outlet, sliding inside for Ruiz just outside the box, and his shot is blocked, the ball looping up with Maignan unable to get to it, falling just wide. The corner is headed clear by Kolo Muani.
35 min Hernandez is late on Lamine, nothing too vicious but a little reducer just to remind him that such thing is possible every time he’s on the ball.
34 min But here’s Dembele crossing to the far post … and way too powerfully for Mbappe.
33 min France look shocked. There’s not the same snap in their harrying, and Spain are now controlling the pace. I reckon they’d take 2-1 at half-time.
31 min We’ve not seen much of Williams yet, but he wriggles away from Upamecano and Saliba, finding Morata … who can’t escape the traffic.
29 min Thinking again about the goal, it feels harsh to take it away from Olmo, who’s going for the golden boot – if it’s his, he’s on three, as many as anyone has – and he more than earned it, making the chance himself and hitting a goalbound shot.
27 min I must admit, I did not see this coming when Kolo Miuani scored – Spain were struggling to create and France looked lethal on the counter. But here we are, or rather, here football is.
GOAL! Spain 2-1 France (Olmo 25)
Lamine slips into Olmo who finds Navas, and his cross is headed out back to Olmo, who sticks out a leg to intercept then takes a touch to control with the same foot before it even touches the ground – it’s beautiful behaviour, taking him past Tchouameni. And he doesn’t waste the opportunity, leathering a low shot that’s headed for the far corner, but Kounde sticks out a leg and diverts it past Maignan for him. This is brewing into one of the great matches and we’ve only seen a quarter of it!
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23 min The total confidence of that strike is so pure, so too the thought-process. Lamine knew exactly where that ball was going, and how, several seconds before he put it there. Imagination and composure are not natural bedfellows, but this hero has both in luscious quantities.
OH MY COMPLETE AND UTTER EVERLASTING DAYS WHAT A GOAL! Spain 1-1 France (Lamine Yamal 21)
Lamine gets the ball 25 yards out, inside-right. He sways outside and everyone follows, then dips inside, before unfurling the most gorgeous curler you’ll ever see into the far top corner! Where most of us are drinking WKD, smoking Embassy no1 and dancing on sticky floors, as 16-years-old, he is now the tournament’s youngest-ever scorer and are we in the midst of a classic?
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20 min And perhaps that’s the problem with Spain’s style: it only works properly if you have the greatest midfield of all time. With merely a really good one, it’s vulnerable.
19 min France are moving it really nicely on the counter and Hernandez nashes down the left then finds Mbappe, who shimmies infield across the face of the France defence, shooting low, hard … and into the ankles of an unwitting defender. Les Bleus are controlling this game in the transitions.
17 min Cucurella is getting booed every time he’s anywhere near the ball for the handball not given against him in the quarter-final. Or perhaps the crowd are just big Holger Rune fans/Novak Djokovic enemies – it’s a real headscratcher.
16 min So free-kick France, 25 yards out … and Mbappe goes low, straight into the wall.
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14 min France look dangerous on the counter and Kolo Muani finds Rabiot in aeons with Mbappe unmarked over to his left and pleading for a pass. But before he can slide him in, Navas scythes through him –he had to really – and is shown a yellow card. Just the 76 minutes and change against the best player in the world to avoid getting another.
13 min “Wow Daniel!” returns Joe Pearson. “Your ‘bland’ food comment triggered a whole European food history essay in my head. Stop that!”
The best food in Europe – in my experience – comes from outside.
11 min Now Spain have a problem: no reliable striker and a goal down to the best defence in the competition. They’ve got time, but will have to be warier of overcommitting because if they concede another, they’re done for.
10 min We’ve a VAR check for offside, but we’re soon kicking off again.
GOAL! Spain 0-1 France (Kolo Muani 9)
Dembele spins a fine ball out to Mbappe, who pushes Nava deep then curves a delectable cross toward the backpost and Kolo Muani, having pulled off Laporte and Cucurella, heads home! It’s as close as dammit a copy of the chance Spain missed just a few minutes ago and what must Fabian Ruiz be thinking now?!
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7 min Ruiz into Olmo and out to Cucurella, but the ball is way too strong and France counter, Kolo Muani ploughing downfield before sliding in behind for Mbappe … so from miles away, Navas hares over to slide in and make an excellent challenge.
5 min On comms, by the way, is Steve Wilson, which is good to see – I think he’s the Beeb’s best but excuse me while I interrupt myself! Lamine teases Hernandez then teases a glorious curling cross to the far post and Ruiz is up … but he gets under the ball, thunking over the top when he ought really to have scored! What an oversight that is!
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4 min Now it’s Mbappe making space and passing to no one. It’s all a bit scrappy so far, but the intensity is where it needs to be.
3 min Fabian Ruiz, who’s had a great tournament, gets himself down the left and arcs a pleasingly parabolic cross into the middle … where no one is.
1 min We seem to be watching through a fug of pyro as Spain get themselves up the pitch, pressing Upamecano before winning a throw and getting their passing going. But as I type, Cucurella chests down … and into touch. That should settle his nerves.
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1 min And away we go!
Jesus Navas looks up for this.
Two absolute bangers in fairness.
Anthem time!
And here come our teams!
“Thank you for MBM-ing so we can use our footy-viewing quota today to watch the Copa America semi,” says Colm Ó Riain. “Anyone who plumped for the France-Portugal snooze in the quarters over pointing their various antennae at the Canada-Venezuela fizzfest might understand the attraction of giant-killers Argentina taking on the mighty Canada today.”
I actually watched Canada play France just before the Euros and was impressed with how disciplined, organised and confident Jesse Marsch’s team were. If they turn up, they can give Argentina some grief.
I’m really looking forward to seeing how Spain’s wingers do tonight. I absolutely adore Lamine’s weight of an eye for pass – having that at 16 feels like cheating. And on the other side, Williams’ persistence, explosiveness and ability to go both ways is the perfect complement. If those two are at it tonight, France have a big problem.
“Given all the food-based memes throughout the tournament,” emails Joe Pearson, “surely this is Paella vs Cassoulet. And since I frankly loathe saffron but love a nice slow-cooked soup that has sausages in it, I’ve got to say ‘Advantage France’. Which is too bad, because I want Spain to advance.”
Do I have the bottle to confess to a Guardian audience that I find the foods we most readily associate with these countries bland as?
“The Bureau (of legends) is a great TV show,” reckons Nicholas Lane, “but the Spanish equivalent is surely La Unidad.”
I’ve not seen that, will look it up. I loved Le Bureau too, but it’s a while since I watched something that moved me as much as Money Heist. I’m still not over Moscow.
Talking of style, there are some rigs in the BBC studio tonight, goodness me. Rio Ferdinand thinks it’s Yom Kippur!
“I have no problem with Deschamps’ statement,” says Matt Burtz. “The main objective of sporting competition is to win, especially in a tournament. I would rather my team be successful grinding out 1-0 victories than make me want to pull my hair out by losing enthralling 4-3 games. (This is coming from an Everton fan who has seen the dichotomy between Roberto Martinez and Sean Dyche.) But that’s just me.”
Sure, but I also think it’s fair to wonder if France would be better at winning playing in a more entertaining manner. It’s hard to imagine getting this group of players to play worse.
I said earlier that Jules Kounde has style. Exhibit A:
🏰🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/AnTLZfSE9x
— Jules Kounde (@jkeey4) May 29, 2024
“Shame that Robin Le Normand is out, says Charles Antaki. “It’s always a pleasure when the director brings him into close-up, usually when he’s done something daft. He has that underfed mediaeval look that goes along with his name: the hapless hero of a quest, perhaps, or a junior knight who doesn’t survive the first skirmish with the Saracens. Nacho looks quite mediaeval too of course, but not in the same style.”
I always read his name like he’s burglarising an old Bournemouth hotel.
France, meanwhile, will want to lean on Spain in midfield. Easier said than done of course, because where they once had little guys you couldn’t find, now they have big ones who’ll find you. Otherwise, they’ll look to play off Kolo Muani and get their wingers in behind when in possession, and to spring on the counter when not.
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So where is the game? Spain will look to pick holes in the france back four, looking to feed balls in behind for Olmo, Morata and the wingers. But they’ll also be looking to move it side to side, quickly, to get those wingers one-on-one with their full-backs. And from there, they’ll look to zip balls across the box for Morata, or go for goal themselves.
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“Dinner over, coffee at hand, TV on, bring it on....” says Krishnamoorthy V. “Am supporting Spain today as I did in 2010 simply because Didier insulted the whole watching world with the statement ‘if it is boring go watch something else’. Hubris comes before the fall and I shall celebrate the fall tonight.”
I don’t mind him saying that that – he can manage his team as he wishes, and he’s answerable to no one but the French people. But where him and I disagree is on the benefit of his method: I don’t want France to play differently to amuse me, I just think that if they did play differently they’d be a much better side.
This is the real battle though: Casa de Papel v Le Bureau.
Didier Deschamps, I think, is changing style a little. Against Portugal, France played a number 10 behind two strikers, whereas tonight they’ve gone for a front three. I think they’ll want to bog Spain down in midfield and counter, stretching the pitch, but I’d also not be surprised to see Rabiot and Kanté rampaging forward through the middle.
Spain, then, have a bit of a problem. At his peak, Jesus Navas was a sometimes-good winger, and now, in his dotage, he’s a right-back expected to contain Mbappe in a tournament semi-final; good luck old mate.
On the other hand, we’ve seen Nacho come into a team and defend like Baresi – he was brilliant in the second leg of Real Madrid’s Champions League tie – so I’m not concerned for Spain in that area – but anty team in the world is poorer without Pedri.
As for France, Adrien Rabiot returns after suspension, replacing Camavinga, while Antoine Griezmann loses out to Ousmane Dembele.
Spain are without Pedri, nobbled in the quarter-final by Toni “Bites yer Legs” Kroos, along with the suspended Dani Carvajal and Robin Le Normand. So Dani Olmo, who scored against Germany, keeps his place in midfield, with at right-back and centre-back, it’s Jesus Navas and Nacho respectively.
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I’ll write those down, then we’ll have a think about what they mean.
Our teams
Spain (4-2-3-1): Unai Simón; Jesús Navas, Nacho, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Fabián Ruiz; Lamine Yamal, Olmo, Williams; Morata. Subs: Raya, Remiro, Vivian, Merino, Joselu, Ferran Torres, Grimaldo, Álex Baena, Zubimendi, Oyarzabal, Fermín López, Pérez.
France (4-3-3): Maignan; Koundé, Upamecano, Saliba, Hernández T; Kanté, Tchoumeni, Rabiot; Dembélé, Koli Muani, Mbappé. Subs: Samba, Areola, Pavard, Mendy, Camavinga, Griezmann, Giroud, Thuram, Zaïre-Emery, Fofana, Coman, Clauss, Konaté, Barcola.
Referee: Slavko Vincic (Slovenia)
Preamble
Style and substance are often presented as dichotomies, but in reality the relationship between them is far closer – so close that almost necessarily, each brings with it the other. So we might criticise Oscar Wilde, say, for bestowing upon us many more flourishes than messages … but equally we might realise that the flourishes are the messages, him advising us how to enjoy our lives. Similarly, we might complain that Jeffrey Archer, say, is not the greatest prose stylist of all time … or we might remind ourselves that sustaining an exciting story is a style all of its own.
So to cast today’s little tussle as a battle of style versus substance does not do justice to what we’re about to see – and how ludicrous it feels to be writing words to set that up when the simple fact of it, Spain v France, European Championship semi-finals, says more than any smartarse writer ever could. But here we are, so here we are.
So far, Spain have been the best side in this tournament – not much of an accolade, it’s true. And because they commit to a particular way of playing, they’re viewed as style merchants, but the reality is more nuanced. First of all they are – in the best possible way – cynical, snide and dirty. But more than that, the way they play is neither a service to football nor to us; rather it is, in their opinion and experience, the way they are most likely to succeed. Never in the history of the game has there been a method more difficult to beat than theirs, which is to say that even Álvaro Morata can’t dilute the substance oozing from their every pore.
France, on the other hand, are – like England and like Portugal – unbearably frustrating to watch because with the players they have, they ought to be so much better than they are. But though they couldn’t be less fun, the entire approach is predicated on Kylian Mbappé, and surely we’re surely not about to accuse him – or William Saliba, or Jules Koundé for that matter – of lacking style.
In other words, our teams are more similar than we might first think. Spain prioritise control, but no midfield containing Eduardo Camavinga, Aurélien Tchouaméni and N’Golo Kanté is going out to just let the other team have the ball, while France might plan to wait and counter, but no attack containing Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams will be shy about doing the exact same thing.
All of which is great for us, because it means none of us has the slightest clue how this is going to go – not even @TactixSzn on Twitter. There’s a very strong chance the game doesn’t flow, but very little chance it isn’t tight, intense and epic, the most embarrassingly compelling event taking place on the planet this evening – and there’s nothing more stylish or substantial than that. Aquí vamos y c’est parti!
Kick-off: 9pm local, 8pm BST
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