Spain 2-1 France: Olmo powers La Roja into final after record-breaking Yamal goal
2024 European Championship
2-1
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
0' Griezmann, Camavinga and Barcola replace Kante, Randal Kolo Muani and Rabiot!
3' Forward run of Fabian gets to the byeline, chops it back and stands the ball up!
5' Yamal swings in a fine cross but Ruiz heads it over from about four yards out!
7' Mbappe without his mask at the Allianz Arena and he looks much more relaxed!
8' GOAL! Mbappe clips in a top quality cross and Muani scores! Spain 0-1 France
12' Spain heads haven't gone down as a lot of slick passing around the penalty area!
14' Yellow Card! J. Navas booked for hacking down Adrien Rabiot!
21' GOAL! History and it's a SCREAMER from Spain wonderkid Yamal! Spain 1-1 France
25' GOAL! Olmo officially joint top scorer at Euros with 3 goals! Spain 2-1 France
31' Williams passes a backheel to Morata but France smuggle the ball to safety!
36' Yamal passes it to Ruiz but his shot takes a wicked deflection and just wide!
40' Yamal's shot after being picked out by Williams deflected by Hernandez!
46' Williams flies onto a long ball and Maignan slides in on him and win the ball!
47' Randal Kolo Muani catches Nacho and the referee has words with him but no card!
52' Dembele controls a cross and stands up Cucurella but then it's easy for Simon!
56' Mbappe ambitious as he tries to shoot from left side of the box but it's saved!
57' Jesus Navas picked up a knock and replaced by Dani Vivian, who is a centre-back!
60' Yellow Card! Aurélien Tchouaméni booked for a foul on Alvaro Morata!
65' Mbappe swivels to make his run into middle but Hernandez runs it out of play!
69' France winger Ousmane Dembele tries to cut infield and slips into Alvaro Morata!
76' Theo Hernandez, in space near the edge of the box, blazes a shot over the bar!
76' Real Sociedad duo Merino and Oyarzabal for goalscorer Olmo and captain Morata!
78' France bring on their all-time leading goalscorer Olivier Giroud for Dembele!
81' Lamine Yamal moves in from right wing and flashes a 20-yard curler just wide!
82' Laporte just ran into Olivier Giroud's shoulder and he looks in some pain...
84' Match Event for Spain vs France
85' Mbappe away down the left and cuts in and shoots over the bar from 20 yards!
Match Report
Lamine Yamal etched his name in history with a record-breaking goal before Dani Olmo fired Spain into the Euro 2024 final with a 2-1 victory over France.
Yamal produced a remarkable long-range equaliser shortly after Randal Kolo Muani's ninth-minute opener in Tuesday's first semi-final in Munich, the 16-year-old becoming the youngest scorer at a major tournament in history.
In-form Olmo then delivered the decisive strike midway through the opening half, manufacturing space inside Les Bleus' area before squeezing a low effort home.
Didier Deschamps' side had been unconvincing before this last-four meeting, and though they improved in the second half, they were unable to find a leveller as Spain teed up a meeting with either the Netherlands or England.
Spain book their place in the final! #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/9xororAdFU
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 9, 2024
Luis de la Fuente's Roja entered this clash as the only team to win all five games at the tournament (including extra time), and another dominant start saw them go close within five minutes.
Yamal was afforded far too much time to clip towards the back post for an unmarked Fabian Ruiz, who could only head over with Mike Maignan's goal at his mercy.
Yet France struck the first blow just three minutes later when the now-unmasked Kylian Mbappe stood up Jesus Navas before delivering from the left for Kolo Muani to head past the helpless Unai Simon.
Yamal single-handedly dragged La Roja back into the contest, however, shifting the ball away from Adrien Rabiot before curling a sumptuous strike into the top-left corner from 25 yards out.
Spurred on by that historic moment, Spain completed the turnaround within four further minutes as Olmo pounced on Navas' half-cleared cross before finishing past Maignan, with Jules Kounde unable to clear on the line.
Dani Olmo (3 goals, 2 assists) is the first Spanish player to be involved in 5+ goals at a single major tournament (Euros or World Cup) since David Silva at Euro 2012 (2 goals, 3 assists) #SPAFRA pic.twitter.com/VUrsXbMt65
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) July 9, 2024
Maignan was somewhat fortunate moments after the interval, mindlessly racing towards the touchline to challenge Nico Williams, who would have been clean through without the goalkeeper's questionable lunge.
Les Bleus improved from then on, though, with a free Aurelien Tchouameni heading straight at Simon from Ousmane Dembele's right-sided corner after 52 minutes.
Theo Hernandez wasted a gilt-edged opportunity to equalise with 15 minutes remaining, blazing over from the edge of the area before Mbappe followed suit 10 minutes later, as Spain held on to reach their fifth Euros final.
Spain toast new king Yamal
At the age of 16 years and 362 days, Yamal made history by becoming the youngest-ever player to appear in a semi-final at a major international tournament, a record previously held by Brazil's Pele (17 years, 244 days versus France at the 1958 World Cup).
Yet the Barcelona winger was not satisfied with that record, delivering a remarkable leveller to surpass Pele – who found the net aged 17 years and 239 days against Wales at the 1958 World Cup – as the youngest scorer in history at either major tournament.
His teenage brilliance helped inspire Spain to their sixth straight win at the Euros, a feat never achieved by any team previously, while La Roja are also the first side to win six matches in a single European Championship tournament (including extra time, but not penalties).
However, Yamal cannot take all the credit as Olmo – with three goals and two assists – became the first Spain player to manage five-plus goal contributions at a single tournament since David Silva during their victorious Euro 2012 campaign (two goals, three assists).
A moment that will live forever #EURO2024 | #ESPFRA pic.twitter.com/N4xdp3LjtH
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 9, 2024
One French problem solved, another found
Deschamps may have been over the moon to finally see a French player score from open play at the tournament, with Kolo Muani's headed opener Les Bleus' first goal to not come from the penalty spot or an own goal.
That strike came from France's 87th non-penalty attempt at Euro 2024, and somewhat repaid the faith of Deschamps, with Kolo Muani scoring his fourth goal when starting for Les Bleus as opposed to just one strike from the bench.
The joy was short-lived, however, as France then conceded twice within the opening 25 minutes – more goals than they allowed in their first five matches at Euro 2024 combined (one, a penalty against Poland).
A rapid turnaround marked the first time France had taken a 1-0 lead but trailed by half-time in European Championship history, and that first-half collapse proved decisive.
Line-ups
Spain XI: J. Navas, Morata, Nacho, Laporte, Unai Simón, Marc Cucurella, Fabian Ruiz, Olmo, Rodri, Nico Williams, Lamine Yamal
Subs: Joselu, Alejandro Grimaldo, Ayoze Perez, Álex Remiro, David Raya, Merino, Oyarzabal, Ferran Torres, Martín Zubimendi, Dani Vivian, Álex Baena, Fermín López
France XI: Kante, Maignan, Rabiot, Dembele, Theo, Mbappe, Upamecano, Kounde, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Muani, William Saliba
Subs: Giroud, Griezmann, Areola, Jonathan Clauss, Brice Samba, Coman, F Mendy, Thuram, Pavard, Konate, Youssouf Fofana, Eduardo Camavinga, Bradley Barcola, Warren Zaïre-Emery