Spain take on France in a heavyweight battle in the first semi-final at Euro 2024, with the winner taking a place in the final in Berlin on Sunday 14 July.
La Roja battled past hosts Germany in an entertaining quarter-final in Stuttgart, with a 119th-minute Mikel Merino header giving them their place in the last four after an enthralling game.
Les Bleus fared a little worse in their quarter-final, squeezing past Portugal on penalties after a 120-minute display that was often tepid, pedestrian and lacking in attacking threat.
Questions remain over whether Didier Deschamps can take this side – who have not scored an open-play goal of their own all tournament – into a fourth final of his tenure. Luis de la Fuente’s impressive Spain side – who remain favourites to win the competition – lie in wait.
Follow all the latest updates from Spain v France below:
Euro 2024: Spain 2-1 France
France are happy to keep possession as the half ends, not trying to force the issue. Kounde tries to clip a ball towards Hernandez, but Nacho clears again, and Spain have the ball.
Chris Wilson9 July 2024 20:42
Euro 2024: Spain 2-1 France
Demebele drives at Cucurella once again and he leaves his leg hanging, so France have another dangerous free-kick.
He swings it towards Upamecano at the back post, but Navas does well to head it behind under pressure.
The corner eventually comes to Olmo, who then finds Ruiz before they clip it forward to Williams. He finds Yamal on the other wing, but the cross is behind for a corner again.
Chris Wilson9 July 2024 20:41
Euro 2024: Spain 2-1 France
Lovely play from Mbappe as he recovers from the challenge before spraying a ball wide to Dembele, who wins a corner.
He swings the cross in, but it’s headed away, as is Kounde’s follow-up cross.
Chris Wilson9 July 2024 20:39
Euro 2024: Spain 2-1 France
Brief scuffles as Hernandez commits a late challenge on Yamal, but no booking yet.
Spain continue to keep possession well, but their ability to go from quite pedestrian to quick and incise is very impressive.
Yamal and Olmo are the latest to illustrate this, the former rolling a pass to the onrushing Olmo on the edge of the box – but his shot is deflected for a corner.
Chris Wilson9 July 2024 20:37
Euro 2024: Spain 2-1 France
The game has calmed down a little now. Dembele swings a ball wide to Hernandez, but he can’t keep it in.
Chris Wilson9 July 2024 20:35
Euro 2024: Spain 2-1 France
Mbappe is on the run again but Nacho stands him up, waits for the help from Rodri and dispossesses the Frenchman.
Nico Williams wants to get in on the action now – he beats his man in midfield before surging into the box, drawing the attention of three France defenders. He tries to slip it backwards to Morata, but there are too many bodies in the box.
Chris Wilson9 July 2024 20:32
Meet Lamine Yamal, the 16-year-old Spain wonderkid lighting up Euro 2024
One year ago Lamine Yamal was playing in the quarter-finals of the U17 European Championships in front of only a few hundred supporters. Skipping past defenders for fun, he registered an assist and scored once in Spain’s 3-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland.
At just 15 years old, he was one of the youngest players competing in the U17 competition at the time. Yet he already stood out among his peers, finishing as the joint top-scorer of the tournament – despite Spain crashing out to France in the semi-final.
Fast forward a year, he’s now the youngest player competing at Euro 2024, with his boyish smile revealing braces, his joyful approach to the game providing a captivating subplot to Tuesday’s European Championship semi-final against France following a dramatic extra-time victory over hosts Germany. His crisp pass to assist Dani Olmo for the opener was his third of the tournament, equalling the Spanish record for total assists in a single European Championship with Cesc Fabregas and David Silva. To say it has been a whirlwind 12 months for the Barcelona winger would be an understatement.
Jamie Braidwood9 July 2024 20:30
Euro 2024: Spain 2-1 France
A brilliant game so far, this. France attack as they look for an equaliser, and the cross is cleared before Morata fouls Kounde near the Spain box.
Dembele delivers towards the back post, but Rabiot can’t keep it in.
Chris Wilson9 July 2024 20:29
GOAL! Spain 2-1 France
GOAL! And Spain are ahead!
Another brilliant goal, though this one for different reasons.
Spain have piled on the pressure since their equaliser and it finally counts – there’s some pinball in the box and it falls in the direction of Dani Olmo, who flicks a great touch past the defender and rifles a shot towards goal. It beats Maignan and bounces off Kounde and into the net!
Chris Wilson9 July 2024 20:27
Euro 2024: Spain 1-1 France
Spain are back it in courtesy of Lamine Yamal from nowhere!
It looks so deceptively simple too. He collects the ball around 25 yards out and looks to make the pass, but sees there are no options on. He shimmies to make space for the shot, and curls a superb effort that hits the inside of the post and goes in!
Chris Wilson9 July 2024 20:23