Spanish media is optimistic about the upcoming semi-final clash against France. They believe France’s performance has not lived up to expectations, with Mbappe struggling and Deschamps’ conservative tactics providing confidence to Spain.
Although France has successfully advanced, their victories seem more reliant on their opponents’ mistakes rather than their own attacking prowess. Spain’s Marca pointed out that despite their lackluster display, France will face Spain in the semi-finals. They only won two games in regular time: the opening match against Austria, secured through an own goal, and the second match against Belgium, also thanks to an own goal. Spain has reason to be confident, as France has not showcased its true potential.
Particularly noteworthy is the fact that French players have yet to score a goal through open play, reflecting the team’s struggles in creating and finishing chances. The only French goal came from a penalty scored by Mbappe.
This match attracted significant attention due to the showdown between two giants, Ronaldo and Mbappe. However, the outcome was not as desired. Ronaldo missed a golden opportunity, while Mbappe was repeatedly thwarted by Portugal’s defense. To make matters worse, Deschamps substituted him in the second half of extra time.
France’s lack of goalscoring ability is alarming, and the statistics bear witness to this. Aside from Giroud, Deschamps has tried almost all his players, but his choices have been overly cautious. In pursuit of a semi-final berth, he substituted Camavinga for Fofana in extra time – a hard-working midfielder – but at a time when Tchouaméni and Kanté were already on the field.
This is undoubtedly good news for Spain. They can expect to exploit France’s offensive shortcomings and leverage their control over possession and organization to dictate the game’s tempo. They can seek space and create scoring opportunities.
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