Spain awaits the winner of the England vs. Netherlands semifinal after defeating France 2-1 at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, on Tuesday night.
Spain became the first European team to win six consecutive matches in any continental tournament.
France struck first with a header by Kolo Muani, assisted by Mbappe, in the 8th minute, marking their first open-play goal in Euro 24.
Barcelona’s 16-year-old prodigy Yamal equalized in the 21st minute with a Morata assist, becoming the youngest scorer in a major tournament, surpassing Pelé’s record.
Dani Olmo of RB Leipzig scored the winning goal in the 25th minute, his third of the tournament, putting him in contention for the Golden Boot.
France had 9-6 shots on goal, with 3-2 on target, while Spain excelled in passing with 500-339. France was more aggressive in the second half, earning 14-9 fouls, with both teams receiving two yellow cards. France also had 6-4 corner kicks.
Referee Slavo Vincic of Slovenia officiated the match in front of 62,042 spectators.
Spain played without midfielder Pedri, who is out due to a knee injury, and defenders Robin Le Normand and Dani Carvajal, who were suspended.
Spain topped Group B with nine points, winning all matches without conceding a goal and scoring five. They defeated Croatia 3-0, edged Italy 1-0, and beat Albania 1-0. In the Round of 16, Spain defeated debutant Georgia 4-1.
Ranked 8th in the world, Spain beat hosts Germany 2-1 in the quarterfinals, with Olmo scoring in the 51st minute and Merino netting the winner in the 119th minute of extra time.
France, ranked 2nd, finished second in Group D with five points, scoring two goals and conceding one. They beat Austria 1-0, drew 0-0 with the Netherlands, and 1-1 with Poland. In the Round of 16, France won 5-3 on penalties against Belgium after a 0-0 draw.
Head-to-head, Spain has won 16 matches, France 13, with 7 draws. Notable encounters include France’s 2-1 win in the 2000 Euro quarterfinals and Spain’s victories in friendly matches and the 2012 Euro quarterfinals.
Both Spain and Germany hold the record with three UEFA titles each. Spain won in 1964, 2008, and 2012, and was runner-up in 1984. Germany won in 1972, 1980, and 1996, and was runner-up in 1992.
The final will be on Sunday, July 14, at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.
The other semifinal between England and the Netherlands will be played at the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund. Referee Felix Zwayer of Germany, previously suspended for match-fixing, will officiate, causing controversy.
This is the 17th edition of the European Championship, with 108 goals scored and 2,554,762 attendees so far. Five players, including Spain’s Dani Olmo, are joint top scorers with three goals each.
Eniola Olatunji reporting for Patmos Media Line.
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