Sabasports Match Preview
Euro 2024: Spain vs France
Kickoff Time: 2024-07-10 03:00 (HKT)
Source: REUTERS/Heiko Becker
In the quarter-finals, Spain relied on Mikel Merino’s winning goal to eliminate the host Germany 2-1 and advanced to the semi-finals. From a tactical perspective, Spain excel in passing and controlling under the adjustments made by Luis de la Fuente. Spain primarily utilize the speed of their wingers to move forward, while their midfielders penetrate forward to create a multidimensional attack. Building upon their midfield control, Spain rely on the individual abilities of Nicholas Williams and Lamine Yamal on the left and right wings to create scoring opportunities. This traditional style of play remains Spain’s core competitiveness. Nico Williams is responsible for attacking from the left, sending crosses or taking shots inside the box, while Yamal on the right tends to move towards the edge of the penalty area and deliver precise crosses with his left foot. Simultaneously, Spain’s midfielders move forward to support them, making it challenging for opponents to defend.
In the previous quarter-finals, France eliminated Portugal 5-3 in a penalty shootout to secure a spot in the semi-finals. However, France’s performance throughout the tournament has been underwhelming. So far in the group stage, they have only scored three goals, including two own goals and one penalty. During matches, Kylian Mbappe often finds himself isolated in the attack, lacking a partner to share the offensive burden and disrupt the defense. When Mbappe is closely marked, Marcus Thuram, Antoine Griezmann, and others have not stepped up to take on the responsibility of scoring goals. This is one of the reasons for France’s lackluster performance in the tournament. Tactically, when France launch an attack, left back Theo Hernandez presses forward to support the attack, and Jules Kounde maintains a parallel position with the two central defenders, forming a three-central defender formation. Griezmann often makes attacks from the right, similar to the role of an attacking midfielder, while Mbappe stays close to Thuram, forming a forward duo. However, Griezmann’s form has been consistently poor, making it difficult for France to rely on him to connect the offense.
In this European Championship, Spain undoubtedly possess the strongest attacking power, and their ability to win is significantly superior to other opponents. On the other hand, although France performs well defensively, it is primarily due to their conservative tactical approach. France have not scored a goal in play, indicating a lack of scoring prowess. Overall, Spain, with their balanced offense and defense, are certainly worthy to watch out for.
Spain’s Last 5 Games: DWWWW
24-07-06 Spain 1-1 Germany (AET 2-1)
24-07-01 Spain 4-1 Georgia
24-06-25 Albania 0-1 Spain
24-06-21 Spain 1-0 Italy
24-06-16 Spain 3-0 Croatia
France’s Last 5 Games: DWDDW
24-07-06 Portugal 0-0 France (PEN 3-5)
24-07-02 France 1-0 Belgium
24-06-26 France 1-1 Poland
24-06-22 Netherlands 0-0 France
24-06-18 Austria 0-1 France
Head To Head Record:
21-10-11 Spain 1-2 France
17-03-29 France 0-2 Spain
14-09-05 France 1-0 Spain
13-03-27 France 0-1 Spain
12-10-17 Spain 1-1 France
Prediction: Spain to win or Draw