By Samindra Kunti, Stuttgart
June 5 – With a brace from teenage star Lamine Yamal, Spain outclassed France in a thrilling 5-4 victory to reach the final of the Nations League, retaining the chance to defend their title.
It’s as if Spain have never left centre stage. After a trophy-laden 2024 summer, La Roja returned to a competitive tournament with more barnstorming football and once again Yamal, who burst on to the world stage last year, was the lead protagonist.
Spain did not have the volume of possession so often associated with them, but provided the same directness that propelled them to glory at Euro 2024 on a night that saw them destroy a star-studded France, overly reliant on their front four.
By the last 20 minutes, the fans were ole-ing every Spanish pass. The red armada had also serenaded Pedri, the FC Barcelona star who had scored the night’s best goal, Spain’s fourth and a collective masterpiece that blended skill, precision, speed and elegance.
It’s not as if Spain had got off to a flying start.
In the opening exchanges, France provided all the danger, first with a double burst of speed from both Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappé before Lucas Hernandez’s 11th-minute crisp attempt ricocheted off the woodwork.
These were not isolated French forays. The team held the upper hand in the first 20 minutes with their front four probing. Yet, at the same time, that was also an indictment. Top-heavy, France didn’t play as a team and their first half, following an enterprising start, turned into a nightmare.
In the 22nd minute, Spain struck in lethal fashion at the other end when Yamal picked out Mikel Oyarzabal, whose excellent hold-up play teed up Williams. The 22-year-old slammed the ball high into the net, a deserved goal for all his early industry. Williams had been the tip of the spear and livewire of the Spanish attack.
If the goal had come against the run of play, Spain seemed unstoppable now and France on the brink of total collapse.
The French lost their focus and Spain picked their defence apart with a simple one-two between Oyarzabal and Mikel Merino. The Arsenal player coolly picked out the bottom-right corner, 2-0. Spain had seen too little of the ball but still found a way to dominate.
It was double sucker-punch for Deschamps and his team. Dembelé and Désiré Doué dispatched low attempts that Unai Simon did well to save, but the French simply relied too much on an attacking quartet that lacked sharpness.
After the break, Spain turned on the style. Getting in on the act, Yamal converted a spot kick after Adrien Rabiot took him down in the penalty box, 3-0. A minute later, Williams rolled the ball with the outside of his right foot to Pedri, who shifted away from Clément Lenglet to chip the ball in style past Mike Maignat. Merino had a hand in both goals with an interception and his pressing.
In the 59th minute, Kylian Mbappé pulled a consolation goal back from the penalty spot for Les Bleus, 4-1. It was telling of France’s impotence that they could only score from the spot kick. Yamal, however, was unrelenting. With an angled finish, he scored Spain’s fifth. At just 17 years of age, Yamal has 76 goals and assists for Spain and Barcelona.
France should have been out on the canvas. They had been torn apart by an imperious Spanish team. Instead, they rallied, almost staging a late comeback, illustrating their firepower and class. Even after a nightmare 70 minutes, they were not beaten.
Substitute Cherki provided another moment of beautiful mayhem with a marvellous volley, 5-2. Mbappé had picked him out and with the ball sitting up perfectly, he rifled the ball into the net.
With five minutes left on the clock, Vivian turned the ball into his own net, 5-3. In injury time, Kolo Muani’s header lifted France to 5-4, but there was to be no thrilling finish and fifth French goal. Spain held on for a merited victory and passage to the final despite the late French scare. After a chastening evening, Didier Deschamps at least had positives to take away.
The Spanish will entertain their neighbours and Iberian rivals Portugal in Sunday’s showpiece match of the Nations League Final Four. France and hosts Germany will feature in the third-place playoff.
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