How superb Lamine Yamal inspired Spain to Euro 2024 win over France

“Yamal will need to show more than what he’s done so far in the tournament if he wants to be in the final,” said France midfielder Adrien Rabiot at yesterday’s pre-game news conference.

The 16 year old was listening, and replied as many teenagers do — via social media with an Instagram post saying “move in silence, only speak to say checkmate.”

The difference is that this 16 year old can also reply in the adult real world.

Tournaments are decided on moments. In many ways, this was reminiscent of the Nations League final in 2021, when Spain opened the scoring then France equalised two minutes later.

The first-half was the reverse this time. Randal Kolo Muani scored his fifth senior France goal, from a flowing right-to-left move of a Paris Saint-Germain trio: Ousmane Dembele switched it wide-left to Kylian Mbappe, who hung-up a back-post cross for Kolo Muani to header in — France’s first open-play goal of the tournament.

Lamine Yamal’s equaliser was even better, the first open-play goal scored against France this tournament.

Meanwhile Dani Olmo, who scored in the two previous knockout rounds put Spain in the lead with three phenomenal touches.

It was a first half filled with supreme quality — these were just three of its finest cuts.

Spain are back in their first big tournament final since the golden generation that dominated from 2008 to 2012.

And whoever they face in the final, they will be big favourites to add a fourth European Championship trophy in Sunday’s decider.

The current La Roja team does not play like those sides which dominated tournaments with a technically excellent but risk-free possession style, which won trophies but left many observers not fully satisfied.

Luis de la Fuente’s team do not play like anybody else in this tournament either, especially the way they get players forward, midfielders Fabian Ruiz and Dani Olmo breaking into the box, while the thrilling wide-players Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal keep opposing full-backs wide as number nine Alvaro Morata moves around the centre-backs.

What these kids and this team are doing in this tournament is very special. They will surely be most neutrals’ favourites too on Sunday, whether they play England or the Netherlands.

• A first half containing moments of supreme skill
• That Lamine Yamal wondergoal
• France’s attack misfires again
• Are Spain now the big favourites to win Euro 2024?

Dermot Corrigan, Liam Tharme and Peter Rutzler break down all the key moments from a brilliant semi-final. Enjoy.

Antoine Griezmann’s initial reaction? Well, he wasn’t asked about missing out on starting the semi-final but the France forward — who plays his club football in La Liga with Atletico Madrid — did still speak to TF1:

💬 “We lacked defensive solidity and legs. They were better than us. We knew they hit a lot from distance, and we took a shot from distance (from them). We knew Yamal was left-footed, and we took a left-footed shot (from him).

“The equaliser hurt us and the second goal four minutes later killed us. That’s football.

“It was our strong point from the start but we lost to a big Spain side. No excuses about fatigue or anything. They played extra time too. They were better in everything.

“We started well in the first 20 minutes but maybe we saw it too easy.”

The post-match reflections were honest from Kylian Mbappe, who may well start to contemplate the fact he will now be seeing much more of Spanish football following his move to Real Madrid this summer.

But for now, the France captain was summing up their exit at the hands of Spain:

💬 “They played a better game than us. A big gap? You’d have to look at the game again. We conceded two quick goals and in the second half we had chances to come back, but we didn’t.

“I asked the doctor if I could (playing without the mask) and he told me I could do what I wanted.

“The competition was a failure. I wanted to be European champion. It’s been a long year and I’m going on holiday to get some rest. I haven’t been good and we’re going home, it’s that simple.

“I need to rest. Then I’m off for a new life.”

It was a treat of a first 45 minutes, and a more subtly simmering second half. France made some chances, but Spain kept them under wraps for the most part — and the final numbers show that too…

FT: Spain 2-1 France

• Possession: 58% — 42%
• Shots: 6 — 9
• On target: 2 — 3
• XG: 0.74 — 1.01
• Big chances: 1 — 3
• Blocked shots: 2 — 3
• Duels won: 34 — 51
• Dispossessed: 10 — 6

There was the odd, brief loss of concentration at the back for Spain — but France were just as culpable with some of their finishing. And that was arguably the telling difference between the two sides.

It was such an absorbing encounter — but it was also quite interesting that both teams went at least 34 minutes without a shot on goal at one point in the match.

Spain’s control of the game was perhaps their most impressive facet tonight.

So France have been eliminated from Euro 2024 at the semi-final stage.

This is the first time that has happened to them at a major tournament since Euro 1996, when they lost out to Czech Republic.

They had won all six of their previous semis.

As for France boss Didier Deschamps, here’s his initial thoughts to France’s Euro 2024 exit at the semi-final stage — speaking to TF1:

💬 “They’re a very good team, we knew that, even if we were lucky enough to open the scoring.

“They were superior in their control, even if we tried until the end. They’re the team that had left the best impression so far and they showed it again tonight.

“We perhaps had a little less juice, freshness, which led to too much technical waste in the construction of the game.

“We knew very well that they would press any balls going backwards. We didn’t move forward enough.”

A fresh view of the Morata incident at full time has now emerged, with it becoming clear that it was a member of pitch security who slipped on the turf and into the Spain striker.

That was because he was trying to stop a pitch invader from taking a selfie in front of the celebrating Spain players.

Let’s hope the knock is nothing more than some initial pain and shock for Morata.

That’s one goalscorer we’ve heard from. So what about the other? Here’s the man (teenager) of the moment, Lamine Yamal, also on La 1:

💬 “The important thing was to get through to the final, and now the important thing is the trophy.

“We were in a difficult moment, nobody expected to concede a goal so early. I picked up the ball and I did not think about it. I tried to put it where it went, and I’m just very happy.

“I just try to enjoy myself and help the team to win. And if it goes for me like that, well I am very happy and with the win.”

He will not be 16 come Sunday’s final through. His 17th birthday is on Saturday:

💬 “My objective was to be able to celebrate my birthday here in Germany. And I am very happy to celebrate it here with the team.”

The France manager was hoping to become the first man to win the Euros and the World Cup as a player and as a manager by steering France to victory at Euro 2024.

Having won one World Cup and lost the following final on penalties, his credentials are undeniable. And yet France were poor in this tournament, finishing second in their group and never really coming to life.

They showed glimpses of their best in the second half against Spain but lacked composure in the final third. Deschamps will have some serious thinking to do before the World Cup in 2026 if he hopes to recapture former glories.

For the record, Lamine Yamal played on Spain’s right.

So well done, Nico Williams and co…