Adiós France: Lamine Yamal’s Spain eliminates Mpabbé and flies to the Euro 2024 final

Aged 17 on Saturday, the Barcelona talent became the youngest player to score in the continental tournament

Lamine Yamal and his Spain in the final, Mbappé and France at home. They are the faces of the two teams: happy that of the boy from Barcelona, sad that of the attacker who will now return to challenge him with Real Madrid. In the meantime, however, the semi-final of the European Championships was taken by the young Yamal, 17 years old on Saturday, who became the youngest player to score in the continental tournament.

With his masterpiece goal and a goal from Dani Olmo, Spain won 2-1and returned to the final 12 years after the 2012 victory against Italy. Overcoming the initial disadvantage.

France in fact, who had not yet scored a goal from open play in these European Championships, after 8 minutes suddenly lit up, with Mbappé putting in a perfect ball on the head of Kolo Muani. A lightning.

Spain, however, did not lose their composure and continued to grind out the game. Nice game. The German crowd booed only Cucurella every time he touched the ball: his was the handball for the penalty and was not whistled by referee Taylor who penalized hosts Germany, who were eliminated in the quarterfinals.

All out applause instead for Lamine Yamal who with his left foot drew an uncatchable trajectory for Maignan to make history. He had already done it against France last yearwith the Under 17s. A very similar goal.

Then the result was reversed by Dani Olmo’s sharp right-footed shot, with Koundé’s futile save attempt. In a matter of minutes Spain took over the match. And he never let go. Rossi was less ‘furious’ in the second half, it’s true, but France, with an unmasked but tarnished Mbappé, was unable to create particular dangers from goalkeeper Unai Simon.

And Mbappé himself, after fending off the ‘assault’ of an invader who wanted to take a selfie with him, wasted the chance of a possible equalizer towards the end by sending the ball skyrocketing. Adios France. Spain is ready to chase its fourth success at the European Championships. It would be a solitary record. Tomorrow the other semi-final: Holland-England.