### Espagne vs. France: Pre-Match Analysis
With five victories, 11 goals scored, only two conceded, and an impressive style of play, Spain stands out as the top performer among the four remaining teams. "Based on their on-field performance, they are the team that has best controlled the tournament and left the most positive impression on almost everyone," said Didier Deschamps in a press conference on Monday.
Led by the brilliance of Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, La Roja has moved beyond its previously sterile possession game. This is evident from their wins against Croatia and Germany, where they relinquished over 50% possession. Spain could become the first team to achieve six consecutive victories in a single tournament if they beat France.
**In contrast, France's journey has been quite improbable.** Their first five matches yielded only four goals, three of which were in their favor. Defensively, they have been solid: the William Saliba РDayot Upamecano duo has held firm against top strikers like Lewandowski, Lukaku, and Ronaldo, while full-backs Th̩o Hernandez and Jules Kound̩ have performed well. The midfield trio, led by N'Golo Kant̩, has also been effective.
Offensively, however, France has struggled. Kylian Mbappé, possibly hindered by his mask, and Antoine Griezmann have not been at their best, and Marcus Thuram has yet to impress as a striker. An early Spanish goal could be detrimental for France, who have never trailed in this Euro and have shown vulnerabilities against a deep defensive block.
### **Team Advantages: France**
Didier Deschamps will have a full squad available, with Adrien Rabiot returning from suspension. In contrast, Spain's coach Luis de la Fuente faces challenges with three key players missing.
- **Pedri**: Suffered a knee injury from a tackle by Toni Kroos in the quarterfinals and will be replaced by Dani Olmo, who was impressive against Germany.
- **Robin Le Normand and Dani Carvajal**: Both will miss the semifinal due to yellow card accumulation. This forces de la Fuente to rethink his right-side defense, likely bringing in Nacho Fernandez and Jesús Navas.
### **Recent Encounters**
Historically, Spain and France have met 36 times since 1922, with Spain having a slight edge with 16 wins to France's 13, and 7 draws. Recent matches offer little clear trend. France won the most recent encounter, the 2020-2021 Nations League final (2-1). However, both teams have seen significant changes since then, with only seven current French players and six Spaniards having participated in that match. In the 21st century, France has won 3 matches, Spain 6, and 1 ended in a draw.
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