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31 min We’ve not seen a lot of Williams but, however he wriggles away from Upamecano and Saliba, discovering Morata … who can’t escape the site visitors.
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29 min Considering once more in regards to the purpose, it feels harsh to take it away from Olmo, who’s going for the golden boot – if it’s his, he’s on three, as many as anybody has – and he greater than earned it, making the possibility himself and hitting a goalbound shot.
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27 min I have to admit, I didn’t see this coming when Kolo Miuani scored – Spain have been struggling to create and France regarded deadly on the counter. However right here we’re, or fairly, right here soccer is.
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GOAL! Spain 2-1 France (Kounde personal purpose 25)
Lamine slips into Olmo who finds Navas, and his cross is headed out again to Olmo, who stands proud a leg and takes a contact to regulate with the identical foot, earlier than it even touches the bottom – it’s lovely behaviour, taking him previous Tchouameni. And he doesn’t waste the chance, leathering a low shot that’s headed for the far nook, however Kounde stands proud a leg and diverts it previous Maignan for him. That is brewing into one of many nice matches and we’ve solely seen 1 / 4 of it!
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Up to date at 15.33 EDT
23 min The entire confidence of that strike is so pure, so too the thought-process. Lamine knew precisely the place that ball was going, and the way, a number of seconds earlier than he put it there. Creativeness and composure usually are not pure bedfellows, however this hero has each in luscious portions.
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OH MY COMPLETE AND UTTER EVERLASTING DAYS WHAT A GOAL! Spain 1-1 France (Lamine Yamal 21)
Lamine will get the ball 25 yards out, inside-right. He sways exterior and everybody follows, then dips inside, earlier than unfurling essentially the most attractive roller you’ll ever see into the far high nook! The place most of us are consuming WKD, smoking Embassy no1 and dancing on sticky flooring, as 16-years-old, he’s now the event’s youngest-ever scorer and are we within the midst of a traditional?
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Up to date at 15.28 EDT
20 min And maybe that’s the issue with Spain’s fashion: it solely works correctly you probably have the best midfield of all time. With merely a very good one, it’s weak.
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19 min France are transferring it actually properly on the counter and Hernandez nashes down the left then finds Mbappe, who shimmies infield throughout the face of the France defence, taking pictures low, onerous … and into the ankles of an unwitting defender. Les Bleus are controlling this sport within the transitions.
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17 min Cucurella is getting booed each time he’s anyplace close to the ball for the handball not given towards him within the quarter-final. Or maybe the gang are simply huge Holger Rune followers/Novak Djokovic enemies – it’s an actual headscratcher.
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16 min So free-kick France, 25 yards out … and Mbappe goes low, straight into the wall.
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Up to date at 15.20 EDT
14 min France look harmful on the counter and Kolo Muani finds Rabiot in aeons with Mbappe unmarked over to his left and pleading for a go. However earlier than he can slide him in, Navas scythes by way of him –he needed to actually – and is proven a yellow card. Simply the 76 minutes and alter towards the very best participant on this planet to keep away from getting one other.
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13 min “Wow Daniel!” returns Joe Pearson. “Your ‘bland’ meals remark triggered an entire European meals historical past essay in my head. Cease that!”
One of the best meals in Europe – in my expertise – comes from exterior.
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11 min Now Spain have an issue: no dependable striker and a purpose all the way down to the very best defence within the competitors. They’ve received time, however must be warier of overcommitting as a result of in the event that they concede one other, they’re completed for.
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10 min We’ve a VAR test for offside, however we’re quickly kicking off once more.
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GOAL! Spain 0-1 France (Kolo Muani 9)
Dembele spins a positive ball out to Mbappe, who pushes Nava deep then curves a tasty cross towards the backpost and Kolo Muani, having pulled off Laporte and Cucurella, heads dwelling! It’s as shut as dammit a replica of the possibility Spain missed just some minutes in the past and what should Fabian Ruiz be pondering now?!
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Up to date at 15.16 EDT
7 min Ruiz into Olmo and out to Cucurella, however the ball is means too robust and France counter, Kolo Muani ploughing downfield earlier than sliding in behind for Mbappe … so from miles away, Navas hares over to slip in and make a superb problem.
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5 min On comms, by the way in which, is Steve Wilson, which is sweet to see – I feel he’s the Beeb’s greatest however excuse me whereas I interrupt myself! Lamine teases Hernandez then teases a wonderful curling cross to the far publish and Ruiz is up … however he will get below the ball, thunking excessive when he ought actually to have scored! What an oversight that’s!
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Up to date at 15.09 EDT
4 min Now it’s Mbappe making area and passing to nobody. It’s all a bit scrappy to date, however the depth is the place it must be.
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3 min Fabian Ruiz, who’s had an awesome event, will get himself down the left and arcs a pleasingly parabolic cross into the center … the place nobody is.
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1 min We appear to be watching by way of a fug of pyro as Spain get themselves up the pitch, urgent Upamecano earlier than profitable a throw and getting their passing going. However as I kind, Cucurella chests down … and into contact. That ought to settle his nerves.
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Up to date at 15.06 EDT
1 min And away we go!
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Jesus Navas appears to be like up for this.
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Two absolute bangers in equity.
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Anthem time!
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And right here come our groups!
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“Thanks for MBM-ing so we are able to use our footy-viewing quota at present to look at the Copa America semi,” says Colm Ó Riain. “Anybody who plumped for the France-Portugal snooze within the quarters over pointing their varied antennae on the Canada-Venezuela fizzfest would possibly perceive the attraction of giant-killers Argentina taking up the mighty Canada at present.”
I really watched Canada play France simply earlier than the Euros and was impressed with how disciplined, organised and assured Jesse Marsch’s workforce have been. In the event that they flip up, they may give Argentina some grief.
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I’m actually trying ahead to seeing how Spain’s wingers do tonight. I completely adore Lamine’s weight of a watch for go – having that at 16 appears like dishonest. And on the opposite facet, Williams’ persistence, explosiveness and skill to go each methods is the proper complement. If these two are at it tonight, France have an enormous downside.
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“Given all of the food-based memes all through the event,” emails Joe Pearson, “certainly that is Paella vs Cassoulet. And since I frankly detest saffron however love a pleasant slow-cooked soup that has sausages in it, I’ve received to say ‘Benefit France’. Which is just too dangerous, as a result of I need Spain to advance.”
Do I’ve the bottle to admit to a Guardian viewers that I discover the meals we most readily affiliate with these nations bland as?
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“The Bureau (of legends) is a good TV present,” reckons Nicholas Lane, “however the Spanish equal is unquestionably La Unidad.”
I’ve not seen that, will look it up. I beloved Le Bureau too, but it surely’s some time since I watched one thing that moved me as a lot as Cash Heist. I’m nonetheless not over Moscow.
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Speaking of favor, there are some rigs within the BBC studio tonight, goodness me. Rio Ferdinand thinks it’s Yom Kippur!
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“I’ve no downside with Deschamps’ assertion,” says Matt Burtz. “The principle goal of sporting competitors is to win, particularly in a event. I’d fairly my workforce achieve success grinding out 1-0 victories than make me wish to pull my hair out by shedding enthralling 4-3 video games. (That is coming from an Everton fan who has seen the dichotomy between Roberto Martinez and Sean Dyche.) However that’s simply me.”
Positive, however I additionally suppose it’s honest to marvel if France could be higher at profitable taking part in in a extra entertaining method. It’s onerous to think about getting this group of gamers to play worse.
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I mentioned earlier that Jules Kounde has fashion. Exhibit A:
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“Disgrace that Robin Le Normand is out, says Charles Antaki. “It’s all the time a pleasure when the director brings him into close-up, normally when he’s completed one thing daft. He has that underfed mediaeval look that goes alongside together with his title: the hapless hero of a quest, maybe, or a junior knight who doesn’t survive the primary skirmish with the Saracens. Nacho appears to be like fairly mediaeval too in fact, however not in the identical fashion.”
I all the time learn his title like he’s burglarising an previous Bournemouth resort.
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France, in the meantime, will wish to lean on Spain in midfield. Simpler mentioned than completed in fact, as a result of the place they as soon as had little guys you couldn’t discover, now they’ve huge ones who’ll discover you. In any other case, they’ll look to play off Kolo Muani and get their wingers in behind when in possession, and to spring on the counter when not.
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Up to date at 14.41 EDT
So the place is the sport? Spain will look to choose holes within the france again 4, seeking to feed balls in behind for Olmo, Morata and the wingers. However they’ll even be seeking to transfer it facet to facet, shortly, to get these wingers one-on-one with their full-backs. And from there, they’ll look to zip balls throughout the field for Morata, or go for purpose themselves.
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Up to date at 14.40 EDT
“Dinner over, espresso at hand, TV on, convey it on….” says Krishnamoorthy V. “Am supporting Spain at present as I did in 2010 just because Didier insulted the entire watching world with the assertion ‘whether it is boring go watch one thing else’. Hubris comes earlier than the autumn and I shall have fun the autumn tonight.”
I don’t thoughts him saying that that – he can handle his workforce as he needs, and he’s answerable to nobody however the French folks. However the place him and I disagree is on the good thing about his methodology: I don’t need France to play in a different way to amuse me, I simply suppose that in the event that they did play in a different way they’d be a significantly better facet.
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That is the actual battle although: Casa de Papel v Le Bureau.
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Didier Deschamps, I feel, is altering fashion a little bit. In opposition to Portugal, France performed a quantity 10 behind two strikers, whereas tonight they’ve gone for a entrance three. I feel they’ll wish to lavatory Spain down in midfield and counter, stretching the pitch, however I’d additionally not be shocked to see Rabiot and Kanté rampaging ahead by way of the center.
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Spain, then, have a little bit of an issue. At his peak, Jesus Navas was a sometimes-good winger, and now, in his dotage, he’s a right-back anticipated to include Mbappe in a event semi-final; good luck previous mate.
However, we’ve seen Nacho come right into a workforce and defend like Baresi – he was good within the second leg of Actual Madrid’s Champions League tie – so I’m not involved for Spain in that space – however anty workforce on this planet is poorer with out Pedri.
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As for France, Adrien Rabiot returns after suspension, changing Camavinga, whereas Antoine Griezmann loses out to Ousmane Dembele.
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Spain are with out Pedri, nobbled within the quarter-final by Toni “Bites yer Legs” Kroos, together with the suspended Dani Carvajal and Robin Le Normand. So Dani Olmo, who scored towards Germany, retains his place in midfield, with at right-back and centre-back, it’s Jesus Navas and Nacho respectively.
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Up to date at 14.27 EDT
I’ll write these down, then we’ll have a take into consideration what they imply.
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Our groups
Spain (4-2-3-1): Unai Simón; Jesús Navas, Nacho, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Fabián Ruiz; Lamine Yamal, Olmo, Williams; Morata. Subs: Raya, Remiro, Vivian, Merino, Joselu, Ferran Torres, Grimaldo, Álex Baena, Zubimendi, Oyarzabal, Fermín López, Pérez.
France (4-3-3): Maignan; Koundé, Upamecano, Saliba, Hernández T; Kanté, Tchoumeni, Rabiot; Dembélé, Koli Muani, Mbappé. Subs: Samba, Areola, Pavard, Mendy, Camavinga, Griezmann, Giroud, Thuram, Zaïre-Emery, Fofana, Coman, Clauss, Konaté, Barcola.
Referee: Slavko Vincic (Slovenia)
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Preamble
Model and substance are sometimes introduced as dichotomies, however in actuality the connection between them is way nearer – so shut that nearly essentially, every brings with it the opposite. So we’d criticise Oscar Wilde, say, for bestowing upon us many extra prospers than messages … however equally we’d realise that the prospers are the messages, him advising us tips on how to get pleasure from our lives. Equally, we’d complain that Jeffrey Archer, say, just isn’t the best prose stylist of all time … or we’d remind ourselves that sustaining an thrilling story is a mode all of its personal.
So to solid at present’s little tussle as a battle of favor versus substance doesn’t do justice to what we’re about to see – and the way ludicrous it feels to be writing phrases to set that up when the straightforward truth of it, Spain v France, European Championship semi-finals, says greater than any smartarse author ever might. However right here we’re, so right here we’re.
To this point, Spain have been the very best facet on this event – not a lot of an accolade, it’s true. And since they decide to a selected means of taking part in, they’re considered as fashion retailers, however the actuality is extra nuanced. To start with they’re – in the absolute best means – cynical, snide and soiled. However greater than that, the way in which they play is neither a service to soccer nor to us; fairly it’s, of their opinion and expertise, the way in which they’re most certainly to succeed. By no means within the historical past of the sport has there been a technique harder to beat than theirs, which is to say that even Álvaro Morata can’t dilute the substance oozing from their each pore.
France, however, are – like England and like Portugal – unbearably irritating to look at as a result of with the gamers they’ve, they must be so significantly better than they’re. However although they couldn’t be much less enjoyable, your entire method relies on Kylian Mbappé, and certainly we’re certainly not about to accuse him – or William Saliba, or Jules Koundé for that matter – of missing fashion.
In different phrases, our groups are extra related than we’d first suppose. Spain prioritise management, however no midfield containing Eduardo Camavinga, Aurélien Tchouaméni and N’Golo Kanté goes out to only let the opposite workforce have the ball, whereas France would possibly plan to attend and counter, however no assault containing Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams might be shy about doing the very same factor.
All of which is nice for us, as a result of it means none of us has the slightest clue how that is going to go – not even @TactixSzn on Twitter. There’s a really robust likelihood the sport doesn’t move, however little or no likelihood it isn’t tight, intense and epic, essentially the most embarrassingly compelling occasion happening on the planet this night – and there’s nothing extra fashionable or substantial than that. Aquí vamos y c’est parti!
Kick-off: 9pm native, 8pm BST
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Up to date at 14.05 EDT