Spain teenage sensation Lamine Yamal scored twice as his side claimed a hard-fought 5-4 victory over France in the UEFA Nations League semifinal on Thursday.
La Roja advance to the finals of the competition where they will face Portugal, who defeated Germany in the other semifinal, on Sunday.
Story of the game
Most of the pregame attention were focused on Barcelona’s Yamal and France’s Ousmane Dembele, who had both been tipped to win this year’s Ballon d’Or award.
However, it was the 17-year old who delivered another eye-catching performance, to cement his status as one of the best in the world, and favorite for the award.
Read this: Deschamps reveals Ballon d’Or choice
Nico Williams and Mikel Merino scored twice in three first-half minutes to put Spain in firm control, after Theo Hernandez had struck the crossbar for the French side.
New Real Madrid acquisition, Dean Huijsen, scored a third before the break, although the goal was ruled out for offside against Mikel Oyarzabal in the buildup.
Yamal got his first of the night from the spot-kick, after he had been fouled by Adrien Rabiot, before Barcelona teammate Pedri scored a fourth for Spain.
Kylian Mbappe pulled one back for Les Blues from the spot, before the impressive Yamal got his second of the night after a mistake by Chelsea’s target Mike Maignan, to put Spain 5-1 up.
France mounted a late fightback as an own goal by Vivian, and further goals from Manchester City-bound Rayan Cherki and Randal Kolo Muani, set up a tense finish at the MHPArena in Stuttgart.
The reigning European champions closed up an entertaining 5-4 victory, to set up a final against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in Munich on Sunday.
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Spain head to the finals
Spain, the defending Nations League champions, head to Munich on Sunday to face Portugal in this year’s final.
La Roja have qualified for a third consecutive final, losing the 2021 final in controversial circumstances to France, before defeating Croatia on penalties in the 2023 edition.
Luis de la Fuente’s side remain unbeaten since March 2023, boasting a 19-match unbeaten streak under the 63-year old.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
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