Spain forward number 19 Lamine Yamal celebrates after the UEFA Euro 2024 semi-final match between Spain and France at the Munich Football Arena in Munich on July 9, 2024. (Photo: AFP)
MUNICH, Germany (AFP) — Sixteen-year-old Lamine Yamal became the tournament’s youngest ever scorer as Spain reached the Euro 2024 final with a 2-1 win over France in Munich on Tuesday.
Randal Kolo Muani headed in Kylian Mbappe’s cross in the ninth minute and Spain turned the game around within four minutes, scoring twice against a team that had conceded just one goal in their previous five games in the competition.
Yamal, who turns 17 on the eve of Sunday’s final in Berlin to face the winner of Netherlands or England, equalized with a beautiful shot from outside the box, bending a long-range shot past the fingertips of an airborne Mike Maignan and into the top corner.
Spain took the lead after 25 minutes when Dani Olmo deftly picked up a loose ball and smashed a low shot into the goal after Jules Koundé had deflected it away.
Masters of game management in midfield, Spain stopped attacking after taking the lead, retained possession more often than counter-attacking, and controlled the game to win.
Three-time champions Spain have become the first team to win six tournaments at the Euros and are one game away from a record-breaking fourth title.
The question will be asked why France, who have reached the finals of three of the last four major tournaments and boast an enviable wealth of attacking talent, have not performed well up front.
With France having only scored three goals up to that point, none of which came from open play, coach Didier Deschamps reacted by replacing forward Antoine Griezmann with Ousmane Dembele.
Yamal created the first chance after four minutes, curling a cross to an unmarked Fabian Ruiz, who headed the ball over the goal from close range.
Four minutes later, Mbappe slid down the left wing and sent in an identical cross from Yamal, only for Kolo Mouani to head it into the goal and put France ahead.
Pre-match suspicions had centred around Spain veterans Jesus Navas (38) and Nacho (34), who came on in place of the suspended Dani Carvajal and Robin Le Normand, but it was youngsters Aymeric Laporte and Marc Cucurella who set up Kolo Muani’s opener.
France’s goal seemed to dampen Spain’s momentum, but it was the youngest player on the pitch who produced a brilliant play to equalise.
Yamal picked up the ball outside the box, cut inside and, with one look at goal, fired a perfect curling shot into the top left corner.
With this goal, Yamal, who has already provided three assists at Euro 2024, became the youngest goalscorer in the tournament’s history, beating the previous record by a year and a half.
Lamar’s goal 13 minutes after France’s opener sparked Spain’s attack, and Olmo put La Roja ahead four minutes later.
Olmo leapt acrobatically to collect a cleared cross, evaded a defender and fired a powerful shot towards goal, which bounced off Koundé and into the net.
France’s best chance to take the game into extra time came to their captain with five minutes remaining, but Mbappe shot the ball wide with just enough to beat goalkeeper Unai Simon.
