FRANCE-SPAIN: HOW THE ROJA COLLECTIVE INTENDS TO EXTINGUISH MBAPPÉ, GRIEZMANN, AND THE BLUES INDIVIDUALS

Most of the Spanish players and their coach Luis De la Fuente agree on one point: qualification for the Euro 2024 final can only come about through a first-class collective performance against Didier Deschamps’ Blues, this Tuesday in Munich.

The quality of play expected is not really there in this Euro, but the objective set before the competition is fulfilled. Without shining but by being extremely solid, failing to be able to count on an offensive efficiency that was running out of steam, the French team climbed into the last four of the competition by going through a mouse hole against Portugal (0-0, 5-3 tab).

His next challenge in the semi-finals, this Tuesday in Munich? It will be immense, against a very attractive Spanish selection , which produces a game as attractive as it is effective. Probably the best since the start of the competition. “This opposition has the feel of a final”, estimates on the eve of this first clash of the semis the Spanish midfielder Fabian Ruiz, in the columns of the Parisien .

Having beaten hosts Germany 2-1 aet in the quarter-finals, La Roja continue to impress up front with the best attack in the competition, but their danger is not limited to their offensive talents. Although they will have to make some adjustments to the structure of their starting XI between now and kick-off, Spain also have arguments to make on the defensive side with the second best defence in the competition (two goals conceded).

And they intend to rely on this collective solidity to control the individualities of the French team and prevent Kylian Mbappé from waking up. “France is a very physical team, but it also has very high-level players, Nacho told Marca . In this Euro, it may show a more defensive and physical side, but it is a team that can dominate, that can lock you in your camp for many minutes and that is everything we do not want.”

“That will be the key: being united”

Individually, the French team probably has much better defenders than Spain. To protect themselves from the opposing team’s ambitions, La Roja intends to keep the initiative by depriving Les Bleus of the ball. “As we have done with all the teams in this tournament, by attacking,” adds Nacho. “The other day, I was saying to Lamine (Yamal) that if he has three players on him, there will necessarily be an area of ​​the pitch where we will be superior. That’s where we will have to move the ball, with quick ball circulation. That’s also the interpretation of matches,” explains Spanish coach Luis de La Fuente to the Madrid sports daily AS.

Although they have yet to score in the game, the Blues’ attack is nonetheless attractive on paper, like the whirling Ousmane Dembélé, who made a lively entrance against Portugal. “We have to be very careful on counter-attacks, because you have to be very careful with these guys,” warns Nacho. “Kylian, Antoine, Giroud, Ous’, Kolo, Thuram… that’s a lot of players capable of scoring. We’re going to have to be really focused, because they could score at any time,” warns Fabian Ruiz in Le Parisien. “I would say that with players who have these characteristics, who provoke a lot, who seek to overflow, like Dembélé, support is important,” analyses De la Fuente.

“That will be the key: being united, knowing what we have to do at all times and minimising their counter-attacks,” said Spanish defender Marc Cucurella the day before from Spain’s base camp. “Football is a team sport. If it was one-on-one, it would be complicated, but in the end it will depend on all of us,” he added. “I think we have shown that we are a very united team, we make a lot of effort and we give everything for each other. We will have to be very focused against France and be vigilant because they have very fast players. We will try to recover the ball quickly when we lose it and, if we manage to do that, we will have a lot of options in the game.”