France striker Randal Kolo Muani insists that he and his teammates are not afraid of free-scoring Spain ahead of their tantalising Euro 2024 semi-final on Tuesday.
France striker Randal Kolo Muani has warned Euro 2024 semi-final opponents Spain that Les Bleus are not “scared” of anyone ahead of Tuesday’s mouthwatering encounter.
Didier Deschamps‘s men have progressed to the final four of this summer’s tournament despite not scoring a single goal from open play, where their only two strikes so far have been own goals.
As well as a Kylian Mbappe penalty against Poland, France defeated Austria in their opening match courtesy of a Maximilian Wober own goal, before Jan Vertonghen inadvertently condemned Belgium to a last-16 exit to Les Bleus.
The former Tottenham Hotspur defender saw a strike from Kolo Muani take a wicked deflection off of him and nestle into the net, seeing the Paris Saint-Germain attacker promoted to the starting lineup over Marcus Thuram for the quarter-final win over Portugal.
Kolo Muani failed to justify his inclusion as he was taken off in the 86th minute – and therefore did not take a penalty in the shootout – but his teammates were perfect from the 12-yard mark while Joao Felix fluffed his lines for Portugal.
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Kolo Muani talks up “close-knit” France before Euro 2024 semi-final
Spain also failed to prevail in normal time in their quarter-final encounter with Germany, but they got the job done 2-1 in extra time, prior to which they also hit Georgia for four in the last 16.
Nevertheless, speaking to UEFA ahead of Tuesday’s first Euros semi-final, Kolo Muani insisted that the 2018 World Cup winners will not be intimidated by Luis de la Fuente‘s men, now considered the favourites by many to hoist the trophy aloft.
“They are a very good team; it is going to be a very good match. We’ll be ready; the whole team will be ready. We’re not scared of anyone,” the ex-Nantes man said.
“We are very confident and solid. We know that they have qualities but we are a very close-knit group. That will see us through. It feels good to reach the semi-finals and we’re very proud of the match we played.
“We were strong defensively and even though we weren’t able to score that goal, we kept going until the end and we did brilliantly in the penalty shoot-out. Character has always been our strength; we’re all strong and very confident. We stick together and that’s very important for us. That is what will take us deep into this tournament.”
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Kolo Muani reveals “key” to France’s Euro 2024 success
Reflecting on his match-winning cameo against Belgium, Kolo Muani admitted that his “freshness” played its part but stressed the qualities of the whole team, adding: “It is thanks to everyone, not just me coming on to play.
“It is the mindset of the group, we played a great match. I just tried to bring some freshness and the group helped me to score the goal. We won together.
“We all defend together, fight together and give everything for each other, which is the way it’s been since the beginning of the tournament. That’s the key to our success.”
France have reportedly been handed one injury boost and one setback ahead of Tuesday’s semi-final, where Spain must cope without the injured Pedri and the suspended Dani Carvajal and Robin Le Normand.
Either England or the Netherlands – who square off in Dortmund on Wednesday night – will face the winner of Tuesday’s semi-final in the final on July 14 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
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