Spain and France face off for a spot within the Euro 2024 ultimate on July 9 after taking contrasting routes to the semifinal conflict in Munich.
As France have stumbled their means by way of to the final 4, Spain’s flowing soccer has made them the group to beat in Germany.
However, they should overturn a poor report in opposition to the French in main event competitors to take action.
AFP Sport appears at 5 traditional clashes between the 2 nations:
Platini’s Euro 84
The first assembly between two of European soccer’s powerhouses at a serious event didn’t happen till the ultimate of Euro 1984.
Hosts France emerged victorious led by the imperious Michel Platini — whose 9 targets in a single event stays a Euros report.
Platini opened the scoring on the Parc des Princes in a second that dogged Spanish goalkeeper Luis Arconada for the remainder of his profession.
Arconada let the French legend’s low free-kick slip by way of his grasp earlier than Bruno Bellone chipped the Spanish goalie in stoppage time to seal France’s first main event victory.
Djorkaeff stunner at Euro 2000
France additionally defeated Spain 2-1 en path to their second Euros win within the Netherlands and Belgium.
The quarter-final conflict in Bruges was a traditional that includes a free-kick from one other iconic French quantity 10.
Zinedine Zidane’s luxurious set-piece put Les Bleus in entrance earlier than Gaizka Mendieta’s penalty levelled.
Youri Djorkaeff smashed house the winner for a French aspect that was captained by present boss Didier Deschamps.
Zidane’s final likelihood
France’s dominance of the fixture in main event matches continued on German soil on the 2006 World Cup.
Spain had appeared the group to beat within the group stage and went in entrance within the last-16 conflict in Hannover by way of David Villa’s penalty.
But France hit again on their street to the ultimate.
Franck Ribery levelled together with his first worldwide purpose earlier than Patrick Vieira and Zidane — within the event that was his swansong — fired France into the quarterfinals.
Spain’s three-peat
Spain lastly managed their first aggressive win over Les Bleus within the quarterfinals of Euro 2012.
On his one centesimal worldwide look, Xabi Alonso scored each targets in Donetsk with an early diving header and late penalty to seal France’s destiny.
Spain would go on to win a 3rd consecutive main event after Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup.
Mbappe wins the Nations League
The most up-to-date assembly between the perimeters noticed France win the Nations League ultimate 2-1 in Milan in controversial trend three years in the past.
Two targets in exactly two minutes sparked the ultimate into life as Mikel Oyarzabal fired Spain in entrance earlier than Karim Benzema’s beautiful strike levelled issues.
Real Madrid-bound Kylian Mbappe then scored the winner as a refined stepover outfoxed Unai Simon.
Spain had been livid the purpose was allowed to face as Mbappe had clearly been standing in an offside place, however the VAR official didn’t intervene as he deemed Eric Garcia’s tried clearance as a deliberate play on the ball.
Source: www.thehindu.com