Spain-France: the film of the match

Frustrated. We had more possession, more shots on target. We were lacking in our finishing. We managed to score four goals against Spain, but we conceded five. We struggled defensively. It was an open match. We believed in it until the end. It was a great spectacle for the people in the stadium and on TV. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to score the fifth. We would have deserved to win, but they were more realistic.

It was an unprecedented defense; it's not easy to field a defense like that against one of the best teams in Europe, who play some of the best football, who have very good players on the wings. Up front, we were very good. We held the ball and were aggressive. In the first half, we came back from behind against the run of play. Of course, at the back, we could all have done better. We gave it our all until the end. We'll review some things on video. It's a shame.

Even though we were lighter defensively, we held our own against Spain. We wanted to get our revenge. Now we have to focus on third place on Sunday. It's difficult, but there's this match. We can't ignore it. There may be changes, but we'll have to play it to the fullest ." (TF1)

" In the heat of the moment, I'd say we played well. We had sequences of play we haven't seen in a long time. We were able to keep the ball, have structure, and create chances. The problem is that we had a ten-minute gap in the first half and we conceded two goals. The same in the second half. You pay for that in high-level matches, but it's encouraging. We have a long way to go to the World Cup. We have to learn from each match. It's not enough, we're not winning and we're not consistent enough over 90 minutes, but there's been improvement."

(on defensive issues) It's not an excuse. They're top-level players. They did what they could. They were still good. When you don't win, it's the negative points that come out, but it's not all negative. We're pissed off, we wanted to win. We wanted to come back from behind. We're frustrated ." (TF1)

The Nations League final will pit Portugal against Spain on Sunday at 9 p.m. At 3 p.m. that same day, Les Bleus will face Germany in the match against the third-placed team. This will be little consolation for the French team.

It's over! During a completely crazy Nations League semi-final, the French team lost to Spain (5-4). Catastrophic defensively, the Blues initially sank. Before regaining hope, during a late match marked by the enormous entry of Cherki. In the end, Didier Deschamps' men only needed one goal to snatch a miraculous extra time.

The French striker is booked for a dangerous tackle on Fabian Ruiz.

This match is crazy! Cherki is at it again and delivers a perfect cross for Kolo Muani's header, which beats Simon. Just one more goal for the Blues!

Time is running out for the Blues. They have five minutes left to score two goals and secure a miraculous extra time.

Gavi replaces Merino for added time.

The Blues win a well-placed free kick on the left wing. Cherki takes it, but decides to shoot directly. His shot goes straight behind the goal.

Things are heating up in the Spanish camp! Barcola makes a strong run towards the penalty area and plays back to Kolo Muani. The French striker arrives at full speed, but he shoots well over the bar.

Spain missed the opportunity to put themselves in a safe position. Samu, well-launched behind the defense, lost his duel with Maignan.

What if a miracle happened! Les Bleus gave their fans hope again. Perfectly set up by Cherki, Gusto crossed hard in front of goal. Vivian tried to cut in front of Mbappé, but he pushed the ball into his own net.

The French full-back is booked for deliberately pulling Yamal's shirt.

Magnificent! Cherki shines in his first international cap. Served by Mbappé, the Lyon player picks up the ball and beats Simon with a superb mid-range shot. A gem.

Normand and Oyarzabal are replaced by Vivian and Samu.

With a thigh problem, Dembélé gave way to Kolo Muani for the end of the match.

Another chance for the Blues. And another save from Simon, on a powerful strike from Mbappé. The Spanish goalkeeper put in a tremendous performance tonight.

There's more than a quarter of an hour left to play, but the Spanish fans are already starting to tease each other. The traditional "Olé" chants echo through every pass from La Roja.

Lenglet gives way to Hernandez.

Perfectly found by Cherki in the box, Dembélé strikes from a tight angle. Simon is beaten, but his low shot hits the post.

Far too shaky in defense, the French are pushing to get back on track. The Blues aren't catastrophic in their play, far from it, but they're paying for their lack of efficiency in both boxes.

Spain regains a four-goal lead! Played in by Porro into the box, Yamal resists Lenglet's recovery and beats Maignan with an effective shot.

Great opportunity for the Blues! Barcola is free to cut back after receiving a corner from Dembélé, but his right-footed volley goes well over Simon's goal.

Williams and Pedri give way to Olmo and Fabian Ruiz.

Gusto, Cherki and Barcola replace Kalulu, Doué and Olise.

Dembélé hits the center of the field and plays it to Doué in the box. The young French winger moves onto his right foot, and his curling shot misses the target by inches.

The hour mark has passed, and the Blues are in a very bad position in this very lively semi-final.

Like Yamal, Mbappé converted the penalty he was awarded. The Real Madrid player shot straight down the middle.

Things have been going in all directions since the restart. Mbappé is brought down by Merino in the box. It's light, but enough for the referee to award the Blues a penalty.

Just like in the first half, La Roja scored two goals in quick succession. Following Yamal's penalty, Pedri beat Maignan with a perfect chip. The French defense was completely out of it.

Yamal takes justice into his own hands and calmly takes Maignan by surprise! The Blues have their backs to the wall.

The French midfielder is booked for this tackle. Meanwhile, Yamal takes the ball.

Things aren't getting any better for the Blues! After Koné loses the ball, La Roja goes on the counterattack. Williams accelerates down the middle and plays Yamal, who is tackled uncontrollably by Rabiot. The referee doesn't hesitate and points to the penalty spot.

The Blues are trying to get into the rhythm. Doué plays in the box, and Hernandez sees his cross go across the goal. Dembélé is too short at the far post to reach the ball.

Hernandez's loss of the ball allows the Spanish to push forward. Yamal gets into a shooting position in the box, but is blocked by Koné.

Spain kicks off the second half! There were no changes at halftime.

Didier Deschamps should soon begin coaching, especially if Les Bleus don't bounce back quickly in the second half. There's no shortage of options on the bench.

The two teams head into the locker room with the score 2-0 in favor of Spain! While they were able to compete in the game, the Blues paid dearly for their lack of efficiency in both areas. La Roja took advantage of France's defensive woes to score two goals in three minutes, from Williams and Merino.

With halftime approaching, Les Bleus are trying to get back on track before heading into the locker room. Didier Deschamps is in discussions with his coaching staff regarding possible changes at halftime.

He's unstoppable! Simon pulls out all the stops again, catching another curling shot from Dembélé.

Oh Huijsen thought he had scored Spain's third goal with a fine shot, but the goal was ultimately ruled out for Zubimendi being offside.

The Blues are giving themselves a big scare. Yamal is still maneuvering on the right wing. Oyarzabal is all alone in the middle and can go for goal, but the Catalan winger presses his pass too hard. Maignan grabs the ball.

Oh Yamal makes the difference on the right and mystifies Lenglet, who tackles into space. The Barça winger tries to play Merino into the box, but the midfielder is a few centimeters too short to catch the ball.

Another great opportunity for the Blues! Dembélé was served into the box and quickly followed up, but his cross shot was well saved by Simon.

Significantly outnumbering their Spanish counterparts in the stands, the French supporters took a major blow to their morale. The atmosphere has cooled since the two Spanish goals.

Olise takes the free-kick, but his cross is too deep at the far post. The ball goes wide.

The Spanish winger is booked for a dangerous tackle on Doué. A good free kick is coming for the Blues.

The Blues are improving and trying to get back on track. Mbappé is found in the box, his shot deflected by Huijsen and easily saved by Simon.

In his characteristic style, Doué cuts back towards the centre and shoots from the edge of the box. It's pushed away by Simon's firm hand, which has been impeccable so far.

Trailing 2-0 after a huge slump, Didier Deschamps' men took a big blow to the head and were unable to get their hands on the ball again.

The Blues cracked and conceded a second goal in three minutes. Merino was launched behind a completely static defense and beat Maignan with a low right-footed shot.

The Blues are caught out! Yamal plays in the box, Oyarzabal resists Konaté and plays Williams behind Kalulu. The Spanish winger fires a powerful shot under the bar, but Maignan can't do anything.

Olise breaks through the middle to serve Rabiot, who is pushing the Spanish side back. Mbappé on the left and Dembélé on the right offer him solutions, but the Marseille player prefers to go it alone. His left-footed shot goes over.

La Roja reacts! After a good recovery from Huijsen, Williams accelerates into the box. He takes on Konaté and fires with his left foot, but Maignan perfectly closes the gap. The two corners that follow come to nothing.

Doué cuts back into the middle and shoots from the edge of the box. It's on target, but no danger for Simon.

Effective in their pressing, the Blues are taking control of the game and the ball. This start is very encouraging for Didier Deschamps' men, facing a feverish and messy Roja.

Another great opportunity for the Blues! From a corner, Hernandez is played back. His powerful shot from the edge of the box hits the crossbar. Simon was beaten.

The French pressure intensifies. Simon is played back in his box and finds himself face to face with Mbappé, but he manages to beat his opponent with a perfect hook.

Big chance for the Blues! On a well-executed counterattack, Dembélé makes the difference and plays Mbappé into the box. The Blues captain tries to find Olise in front of goal, but his cross is blocked by Simon's saving effort.

Highly sought after by his teammates, Yamal is already influential in this early part of the match. The Barcelona player cuts into the box, but is denied by a narrow margin.

The Blues recover the ball and quickly move forward. Hernandez moves up and shoots from mid-range. His left-footed shot goes over the Spanish goal.

Les Bleus are starved of the ball at the start of the match. La Roja are putting their game together. Passed by Yamal, Porro crosses into the box, but Lenglet makes a save.

Barely ten seconds into the game, Koné has already fouled Merino, who kicked a ball onto his foot. The Arsenal player struggles to get back up.

The French team kicks off this semi-final! Enjoy your match with us!

The two teams enter the pitch in a great atmosphere. It's time for the national anthems, starting with La Marseillaise.

This latest Franco-Spanish duel will be officiated by Michael Oliver. The 40-year-old English referee is accustomed to officiating for both teams. He notably officiated in Les Bleus' last match, a 2-0 victory over Croatia in the second leg of the Nations League quarter-finals.

Less than fifteen minutes before kickoff, the warm-up is over. Both teams have returned to the locker rooms. The atmosphere is heating up in the stands.

Having been a masterful performer in PSG's Champions League triumph over Inter Milan, the barely 20-year-old striker is preparing to celebrate his first start with Les Bleus. He's emerging as the new star of French football.

A portrait by Baptiste Desprez can be found here: “He’s a player with few limits”: Désiré Doué, the birth of a phenomenon

The first semi-final was played last night in Munich. Portugal won 1-2 against Germany. The Portuguese side, trailing in the first half, managed to turn things around, thanks in particular to Cristiano Ronaldo's 137th goal for the national team. Who will be the second finalist? Find out at 9 p.m.

Before this semi-final, relive the last six France-Spain matches in international competition, from victory at Euro 1984 to the semi-final of Euro 2024.

Powerful images to be found here: Spain-France: Lamine Yamal's marvel, Zidane's breakthrough, Arconada's blunder, Platini... Powerful images from the latest duels

This semi-final is being held in Stuttgart, Germany, but the French team will feel like they're playing at home tonight. Nearly 17,000 fans will be in attendance at the MHPArena, a record for a match away from home. On the other side, La Roja will be supported by 5,000 fans.

Having excelled this season with their respective clubs, the Parisian and the Barcelona player now appear to be the two big favorites in the race for the Ballon d'Or , which will be awarded next September. This evening's match could allow the winner to gain points in this duel.

Yamal-Dembélé: Who is ahead in the race for the Ballon d'Or?

Much anticipated tonight, after an exceptional season with Barça, Yamal is present on the right wing for La Roja. Fabian Ruiz, however, is not present. The Parisian starts on the bench, in favor of Merino. Huijsen is preferred to Cubarsi in central defence.

Spain's eleven: Simon (cap.) - Porro, Le Normand, Huijsen, Cucurella - Pedri, Zubimendi, Merino - Yamal, Oyarzabal, N. Williams

As they did against Croatia in Les Bleus' last outing (2-0), Les Bleus will play in an offensive-oriented 4-2-3-1 formation . With Mbappé up front, supported by the trio Doué-Olise-Dembélé. Called up for the national team for the first time, Kalulu is a starter on the right side of defense.

The Blues' starting eleven: Maignan - Kalulu, Konaté, Lenglet, T. Hernandez - Koné, Rabiot - Dembélé, Olise, Doué - Mbappé (cap).

Welcome to the LIVE coverage of Spain vs. France, a Nations League semifinal match. Kick-off at 9 p.m.