Spain 2-1 France live commentary: Yamal stars as Spain reach Euro 2024 final

CHANCE!  Yamal, like the rest of his Spain teammates, has rarely threatened in the second half, but he almost put the game to bed with another speculative strike.

After cutting inside from the right on his favoured left foot, the teenager’s unleashed a shot that flew just over the crossbar; it had plenty of power and curl, but not quite enough dip to fly into the top corner.

Another change for France as their all-time record goalscorer Olivier Giroud is brought on for Dembele.

Can the 37-year-old striker net a late leveller for Les Bleus?

Spain have lost the spark they had in the first 45 and seem to be holding on here, as France enjoy an extended spell of possession and pose a threat in the final third.

It’s all about game management for La Roja at the moment.

Antoine Griezmann (36) has now become France’s most-capped player at major tournaments, surpassing goalkeeper Hugo Lloris (35).

Only three outfield players – Cristiano Ronaldo (52), Bastian Schweinsteiger (38) and Miroslav Klose (37) – have made more appearances at the Euros and World Cup combined than Griezmann.

With half an hour remaining, Deschamps has opted to roll the dice…

A triple change sees Eduardo Camavinga, Antoine Griezmann and Bradley Barcola all brought on for Tchouameni, Rabiot and Kolo Muani

CHANCE!  Mbappe races down the right, easily beating Rodri for pace, before smacking a cross into the six-yard box, but Simon blocks the cross with a strong left hand.

France have shown a greater threat down the flanks in the second half.

CHANCE!  Maignan does well to come off his line and rush out of his box to win the ball from Williams on Spain’s left flank.

Williams initially did well to cover the ground and make the challenge, but was ultimately unable to get their ahead of Maignan.

KICKOFF:  Spain get us underway for the second half!

Hopefully more of the same!

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Dani Olmo has now contributed with three goals and two assists at Euro 2024, becoming the first Spanish player to be involved in five or more goals at a major tournament since David Silva at Euro 2012 (two goals, three assists).

As soon as France put themselves in front in the eighth minute with Kolo Muani’s header, many would have expected Deschamps’s defensively stable outfit to grind out a 1-0 win.

However, Spain had other ideas and stunned Les Bleus with two quickfire strikes; the first an absolute stunner from Yamal before Olmo turned the contest on it head with a sweet strike of his own.

An magnificent first 45 of football comes to an close.

Spain are just 45 minutes away from reaching the Euro 2024 final!

CHANCE!  France win a corner and play it short; Theo Hernandez’s cross is initially kept in by William Saliba, but it fails to reach a teammate.

Spain then burst forward on the counter-attack, and after being picked out by Williams, Yamal’s shot is deflected behind for a corner by Hernandez.

UEFA state, at the moment, that Spain’s second goal is in fact an own goal scored by France defender Jules Kounde, but that will surely change as Olmo’s strike looked on target.

If it is Olmo’s goal, he’s now the joint top scorer at Euro 2024 with three goals.

GOAL!  Wow… that was special!

Spain restore parity in sensational fashion, with wonderkid Yamal whipping a delightful left-footed strike from the outside of the penalty area into the top corner, beating Mike Maignan all ends up.

GOAL!  France finally score their first goal of Euro 2024 from open play!

Mbappe picks the ball up on the left flank and clips an inviting delivery towards the far post where Randal Kolo Muani is to nod the ball home, towering above Aymeric Laporte to head France into an early lead.

KICKOFF:  And we’re off! France get us started.

Hopefully a memorable contest will be in store!

Spain vs. France will become just the third fixture in history to be played at each stage of the European Championship and World Cup, along with Italy vs. Spain and England vs. Germany.

France won three of their first four meetings with Spain at major tournaments (2-0 in Euro 1984 final, 2-1 in Euro 2000 quarter-final and 3-1 in last 16 of 2006 World Cup), while La Roja came out on top in the most recent encounter between the two nations – a 2-0 quarter-final win at Euro 2012. The other game was a group-stage draw at Euro 1996.

While Spain have scored a joint tournament-high 11 goals at Euro 2024 – level with Germany – France have only found the net three times across their five matches and, remarkably, have yet to score from open play.

Deschamps and co have been thankful for two own goals, while the only Les Bleus player to celebrate scoring a goal is Kylian Mbappe, who converted from the penalty spot in a 1-1 group-stage draw with Poland.

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France, meanwhile, have only lost two of their last 19 international matches since the start of 2023 – both of which came in friendlies against Germany.

Les Bleus have been criticised by some for their ‘boring football’ at Euro 2024, but Deschamps came out fighting at his pre-match press conference, stating that “If you’re getting bored, watch another game. You don’t have to watch – it’s fine.”

Deschamps added: “It’s very difficult for everyone, with fewer goals. It hasn’t been the same as in the past, but we share the desire to make French men and women happy through the results we have been getting, especially in a period that has been hard for our country.”

Seeking to win an unprecedented fourth European Championship title, Spain are looking to reach their fifth Euros final tonight; only Germany (six) have reached the showpiece event on more occasions.

As for France – two-time winners of the European Championship – they will endeavour to reach the final for the fourth time in their history, but only the second after Euro 2000 in the Netherlands not to be played on home soil.

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Spain could etch their name into continental folklore tonight…

La Roja are the only nation who have won all five matches at Euro 2024 and they could become the first team in European Championship history to win six games in a row at the same tournament if they beat France tonight.

Rabiot served a one-match suspension in the quarter-finals, but he makes a swift return to France’s first XI, joining N’Golo Kante and Aurelien Tchouameni in midfield.

Dembele, meanwhile, is rewarded for his impressive display off the substitutes’ bench against Portugal with a start in attack alongside Randal Kolo Muani and captain Kylian Mbappe.

Griezmann, who has struggled in front of goal at Euro 2024, is therefore dropped to the bench.

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Spain remarkably have both the oldest and youngest outfield players to ever feature in a semi-final of a European Championship or World Cup in their starting lineup.

At the ripe old age of 38 years and 231 days, Sevilla’s Jesus Navas is handed a start at right-back, while Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal – just 16 years and 362 days old – retains his spot on the right side of attack.

Spain have made three enforced changes to their starting lineup, with Nacho Fernandez, Jesus Navas and Dani Olmo all handed starts at the expense of Robin Le Normand, Dani Carvajal and Pedri.

While Le Normand and Carvajal are both serving suspensions, Pedri is ruled out through injury after suffering a medial collateral ligament knee sprain in the early stages of Friday’s quarter-final.

FRANCE XI: Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Hernandez; Kante, Tchouameni, Rabiot; Dembele, Kolo Muani, Mbappe

Subs: Samba, Pavard, Mendy, Camavinga, Giroud, Thuram, Zaire Emery, Fofana, Coman, Clauss, Areola, Konate, Barcola, Griezmann

SPAIN XI: Simon; Jesus Navas, Nacho, Laporte, Cucurella; Olmo, Rodri, Ruiz; Yamal, Morata, Williams

Subs: Raya, Vivian, Merino, Joselu, Torres, Grimaldo, Remiro, Baena, Zubimendi, Oyarzabal, Lopez, Perez