Euro 2024: Spain v France – Mbappe, Yamal and the key battles to watch in semi-final

La Roja against Les Bleus. Surely a match-up worthy of gracing immoderate continental final? As it is these 2 big-guns will spell to warfare for nan first spot successful Sunday’s Euro 2024 last successful Berlin.

Didier Deschamp’s squad person made 3 of nan past 4 finals successful awesome competitions – winning nan 2018 World Cup – truthful this would beryllium a continuation of their dynasty, whereas Spain are nan only state to person won 3 awesome tournaments successful succession from 2008-2012. Luis de la Fuente and his men are seeking to commencement a caller era here.

The teams will fastener horns successful Munich connected Tuesday night, 8pm BST, pinch a spot successful nan last against England aliases nan Netherlands astatine stake.

Let’s return a person look astatine 5 cardinal areas wherever nan semi-final could beryllium decided, shall we?

🇪🇸🆚🇫🇷 Semi-final locked successful 🔒

🗓️ Tuesday 9 July 2024#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/U7UTLPWvat

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 5, 2024

Mbappe v Spain’s makeshift defence

Kylian Mbappe has not been himself, let’s beryllium very clear astir that. The horrendous surgery chemoreceptor which he sustained precocious successful nan opening group crippled against Austria has intelligibly had an effect connected him and he has shown specified flashes of his brilliance crossed nan past 3 matches.

However Spain’s headache up of nan semi-final mightiness beryllium moreover worse than Mbappe’s was 3 weeks ago. They will miss right-back Dani Carvajal – officially now a teammate of Mbappe astatine Real Madrid – aft his sending-off for hauling down Jamal Musiala successful nan dying seconds of nan last-eight brushwood pinch Germany.

To make matters worse for La Roja, Marc Le Normand picked up cautions successful their 2nd group game, against Italy, and past successful nan first half against Germany, ruling nan Real Sociedad centre-back retired of nan last-four conflict done suspension too.

Whether Mbappe comes successful disconnected nan near aliases plays done nan mediate pinch Ousmane Dembele perchance included aft a good substitute quality against Portugal, either measurement Spain should worry.

Jesus Navas is nan apt replacement for Carvajal, nan 38-year-old Sevilla wing-back is nan only personnel of nan existent squad who helped Spain triumph nan Euros successful 2010 and nan World Cup 2 years earlier. He’s still playing astatine a precocious level but defending against Mbappe is different level wholly if nan Frenchman is connected his game.

Nacho is apt to travel successful for Le Normand, and though he is defensively sound and guided Real Madrid to Champions League glory past month, he is simply a different proposition to Le Normand, much accustomed to playing connected nan near of defence which mightiness lead to Aymeric Laporte and moreover Rhodri having to return work for launching attacks from nan back.

Bringing nan velocity ⚡️#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/60h3HJR4cp

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 8, 2024

Lamine Yamal v Theo Hernandez

This match-up is 1 for nan purists. The 16-year-old Barcelona prima is lighting up his first world tournament, breaking records arsenic he goes, and has contributed 3 assists already – much than immoderate of nan different 622 players taking portion successful Euro 2024 and level pinch Xavi Simons of nan Netherlands.

He is simply a left-footer who operates connected nan correct flank which will bring him into nonstop title pinch Theo Hernandez – almost 10 years his elder but considered 1 of nan champion attacking left-backs successful world football.

With Les Bleus struggling for inspiration for agelong spells successful each 5 of their games astatine nan tourney truthful far, it has often fallen to nan AC Milan man to supply immoderate impetus from nan near flank, often being nan furthest precocious subordinate and not being acrophobic to occurrence successful long-range shots if location are nary amended options.

Will nan beingness of nan latest La Masia prodigy negate immoderate of Hernandez’ attacking instincts? Will Yamal beryllium forced to showcase his ain protect subject successful helping retired stand-in right-back Jesus Navas, expected to travel successful for nan suspended Dani Carvajal.

Do not return your eyes disconnected this conflict because whichever subordinate comes retired connected apical of it could beryllium to beryllium nan decisive facet successful which state reaches nan final.

🇫🇷🤗#EURO2024 | #PORFRA pic.twitter.com/eS8os2G0iN

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 5, 2024

Williams v Kounde

Nico Williams is possibly a small harshly overlooked erstwhile it comes to discussions astir nan Player of nan Tournament.

The Athletic Bilbao wide-man caught nan oculus successful group shape wins complete Croatia and Italy and past scored 1 and set-up different arsenic La Roja saw-off Georgia successful nan Round of 16.

He besides caused Germany’s defence issues successful their quarter-final matchup and you’d deliberation Jules Kounde is already having sleepless nights.

The 21-year-old’s dazzling feet and earthy gait and powerfulness look group to springiness nan 25-year-old Barcelona right-back a existent test.

Williams was suspended erstwhile Barca visited Bilbao successful La Liga successful March and fixed that Kounde made difficult activity of keeping Rafael Leao quiet successful nan quarter-final against Portugal, Williams mightiness fancy his chances of adding to his stats successful this one.

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N'Golo Kanté 🇫🇷#EURO2024 | #PORFRA pic.twitter.com/xcRzhsrekk

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 5, 2024

Ruiz v Kante

N’Golo Kante is 33-years-old and now plays for Al Ittihad successful Saudi Arabia, but you’d ne'er cognize it.

Of each nan players who now ply their waste and acquisition successful nan Middle East, Kante has shown up to nan Euros arsenic nan champion type of himself.

The erstwhile Leicester and Chelsea man has rolled backmost nan years, and his sleeves up, to beryllium possibly nan sparkling ray successful an different dull French run frankincense far.

He has played each infinitesimal of each crippled successful cardinal midfield, barroom a 29-minute breather astatine nan back-end of nan last group crippled pinch Poland pinch nary accent complete qualification.

He will travel up against Fabian Ruiz, nan 28-year-old who plays successful France for Paris Saint Germain – making him only excessively good alert of nan threat posed by their semi-final rivals.

Ruiz is different who has risen to nan occasion, overmuch for illustration Spain possibly exceeding moreover their ain expectations, and has scored and assisted successful some nan opening group crippled against Croatia and besides nan Round of 16 romp against Georgia.

If he keeps this up and Spain spell connected to triumph nan final, he could tally Rhodri and possibly moreover Lamine Yamal very adjacent for nan Golden Ball.

But first he has to get past Kante…

Top midfielders successful nan crippled 🔥

👀 Do you person immoderate successful your team?#EUROfantasy | @visitqatar pic.twitter.com/avZTTG1IjV

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 7, 2024

Morata v Saliba

For a fewer heart-stopping moments immoderate Spain fans feared skipper Alvaro Morata would beryllium nan 3rd subordinate to miss nan semi-finals done suspension… admittedly different fans mightiness not person been excessively bothered.

Broadcasters put an image connected surface that it was nan Atletico Madrid striker who had been shown a yellowish paper for his celebrations aft Mikel Merino’s last-gasp victor successful extra-time against Germany.

However Morata and UEFA cleared it up and nan 31-year-old is expected to lead nan statement erstwhile again against France, contempt telling nan media connected nan eve of nan crippled he feels disrespected successful Spain, wherever he has been subjected to whistles from fans of nan nationalist squad connected respective occasions. Expect this to beryllium his past tournament, then…

The man seeking to marshal him is Arsenal centre-back William Saliba who has been 1 of Les Bleus’ brightest stars successful Germany this summer.

Though they person had their ain problems scoring them, Didier Deschamps’s broadside person only conceded 1 extremity successful their 5 games frankincense acold successful Germany, that coming from nan punishment spot against Poland.

Mike Maignan has impressed pinch a 94% prevention percent – nan champion by immoderate keeper since Euro 2012 – but it is arsenic overmuch nan coagulated activity of Dayot Upamecano and Saliba infront of him which person kept nan French sheets clean.

If Saliba tin guidelines patient against Antoine Griezmann’s nine teammate for 90 minutes (at least) past he mightiness propel himself into nan speech for Player of nan Tournament too.