Spain vs France
This highly anticipated match mirrors the semi-final of the previous EURO, where the superb Spanish squad defeated France 2:1 en route to becoming European champions. Spain, also known as La Roja, is once again rightfully considered the favorite here, especially as they are the reigning UEFA Nations League champions.
Under coach Luis de la Fuente, Spain is currently on an impressive 23-match unbeaten streak dating back to March 28, 2023, including a remarkable 21 victories. This near-perfect run has seen La Roja claim the Nations League and European Championship titles, top their EURO 2024 qualifying group, and advance to the semi-finals of the current Nations League campaign.
Furthermore, this iteration of the Spanish squad has consistently performed well against top-tier opposition. Recent results for La Roja against strong teams include victories over Croatia (3:0), Italy (1:0), Germany (2:1), and England (2:1).
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Франция
Consequently, things are expected to be quite challenging here for a French side that has shown some inconsistency recently. Since the 2022 World Cup, Les Bleus have faced criticism regarding their performances. For instance, in the previous European Championship, they managed only 4 goals across 6 matches. More recently, in the current Nations League, France lost 1:3 to Italy in the group stage and were convincingly defeated 0:2 by Croatia in the first leg of their quarter-final tie.
Furthermore, the nominal visitors will be significantly weakened by the absence of three key defenders: Dayot Upamecano, Jules Koundé, and William Saliba. Additionally, influential defensive midfielder Eduardo Camavinga will not be available for France in Stuttgart.
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Given these factors, Spain’s formidable attack should find ample opportunity to thrive here. They have scored an impressive 28 goals in their last 12 official matches, failing to score less than two goals in only two of those games. Naturally, the young sensation Lamine Yamal stands out as a key figure at the forefront of today’s La Roja attack. He is the team’s most productive player under de la Fuente, contributing 4 goals and 8 assists. For Barcelona last season, he netted 18 goals and provided 21 assists.
Mark Thompson
