Munich [Germany]: Dani Olmo and Lamine Yamal weaved magic with their quality to power Spain in the final of Euro 2024 with a 2-1 win over France in the semi-final at Allianz Arena.
All it took for Spain was moments of brilliance from Yamal and Olmo to punch their tickets in Berlin for the final of Euro 2024.
It was a neck-to-neck tie right from the moment when the referee Slavko Vincic blew the whistle to mark the beginning of an enticing semi-final in Munich.
Spain got hold of the possession without wasting much and threatened to break the stalemate with Lamine Yamal bombarding crosses from the right side and isolating France’s players in their defensive half.
But it was France who went ahead against the run of play. In the seventh minute, the French captain Kylian Mbappe had the first sniff at the goal, but Jesus Navas cleared the ball away before he could get his shot away.
Two minutes later, Mbappe curled a beautiful ball into the box, and Kolo Muani made no mistake, in finding the back of the net from a free header. A shake of the head from Spain’s coach, De la Fuente, summed up the feeling inside their camp and the fan base.
The French side found room during the transition and used it to their advantage. At the same time, Spain kept knocking on France’s door and eventually reaped the reward for their efforts. Yamal, with his quick feet, cut the ball to his left and curled the ball into the top left corner, leaving French keeper Mike Maignan helpless.
The 16-year-old’s 25-yard stroke made him the youngest player to score at a major tournament. His efforts fanned the flames of hope inside the fan base and their camp.
In a matter of moments, Spain breezed past France’s defence yet again, with Dani Olmo weaving magic with his feet. He got past Aurelien Tchouameni with a wonderful piece of skill. Olmo took his shot, and the ball ended up in the back of the net after glancing off Jules Kounde.
The fans couldn’t keep their eyes off the match, with Mbappe darting into the box only to be denied by Nacho. Spanish winger Nico Williams sprinted into the opposition half and teed up Alvaro Morata. The Spanish striker got crowded out leaving the scoreboard untouched at 2-1.
France tried to regroup but kept falling behind as the first half ended with Spain leading 2-1. In the second half, both teams began the game at high intensity. Spain pressed high up in the field, enjoyed possession and dominated France’s defence.
Ousmane Dembele came close in the 60th minute after his cross into the box was unorthodoxly parried away by Unai Simon.
France brought in a couple of attacking substitutes, including their leading goal-scorer Olivier Giroud. However, Spain held their nerves to see off the game and book their place in the final.
