Spain booked their place in the FIFA World Cup final for only the second time in history after defeating France 2-0 in the semi-final at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday. First-half penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal and a second-half strike by Pedro Porro secured a deserved victory for Luis de la Fuente’s side, who will now face the winner of the second semi-final between England and Argentina.
La Roja produced a disciplined display at both ends of the pitch, limiting France’s star-studded attack while capitalising on their own chances to end Les Bleus’ hopes of a third successive World Cup final.
The first goal – as it happened
Spain took control midway through the first half after Lamine Yamal won a penalty. The teenage winger was brought down in the box by Lucas Digne as he attempted to challenge for a loose ball. The referee immediately pointed to the spot, as France barely challenged the call. Interestingly, Oyarzabal stepped up and emphatically converted in the 23rd minute, giving goalkeeper Mike Maignan no chance despite diving the right way.
The goal unsettled France, who fell behind for the first time in the tournament. Their problems worsened when centre-back William Saliba was forced off with an injury before half-time. Now, despite having Ibrahim Konate on the bench, Deschamps called for Maxence Lacroix, who was very average for the rest of the night.ย
Spain continue to dominate in second half
Spain continued to dominate after the break and doubled their advantage in the 60th minute. Pedro Porro exchanged passes with Dani Olmo before firing a powerful finish past Maignan from inside the penalty area. Spain thought they had added a third moments later through Yamal, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
France struggled to respond despite introducing fresh legs from the bench. Kylian Mbappe endured a frustrating evening, repeatedly being caught offside and failing to test Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon consistently. The Real Madrid forward’s afternoon was summed up late in the match when he curled an effort over the crossbar before picking up a yellow card for a challenge on Simon in the closing stages.
Meanwhile, Spain comfortably managed the closing minutes, controlling possession and frustrating France’s attempts to mount a comeback. Simon also produced a series of important interventions to preserve his clean sheet as Les Bleus ran out of ideas. The likes of Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise had a very poor evening as France lacked creativity. Their midfield was non-existent for a long spell and that summed up their story for the night.ย
The victory sends Spain into the World Cup final for the first time since lifting the trophy in 2010.
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