Spain didn’t merely defeat France on Tuesday. They figured them out.
Kylian Mbappé entered the Dallas semifinal with more goals than anyone else in the tournament and France had ripped through six teams with a 16-2 goal difference but still, Spain figured out a way to stop them.
Spain swarmed Mbappé every time he received the ball, denying him the space to run into. He never really had the chance to do any damage.
By the end of the match, per Opta Analyst, France had mustered only 0.3 expected goals from 10 shots. Poor numbers for a side who had been scoring for fun throughout the tournament.
The Press That Brought Down France
Spain didn’t get lucky, they had a gameplan and it was simply to apply pressure. Their midfield, led by Rodri, kept winning the ball high up the pitch before France could even get going.
This approach stopped Mbappé, Dembélé and Olise from finding the space they usually attack into. You can see it in the 38th minute as Spain pressed hard and forced France to turn over the ball in their own box before Yamal and Dani Olmo then linked up and only a last-second block from Upamecano kept the score level.
That moment summed up the entire game.
Possession and Control
The game looks close on paper: 49% possession for France, 51% for Spain. But the real story is how clinical Spain was. Spain had two shots on target, and scored with both of their clearest chances.
However, France attempted the majority of their shots from outside the penalty area, what many would call poor quality attempts at a Spanish defense that had conceded only one goal all tournament.
Simple Goals, Clever Build
The first goal was a penalty, when Digne kicked Yamal inside the box and Oyarzabal coolly put it away in the 22nd minute. The second, in the 58th minute, was a product of good teamwork with Porro and Olmo combining in a quick give-and-go before Porro slotted it home past Maignan.
It’s the same story but different goals: Spain beautifully got into the danger area and made chances for themselves out of tight spots while France was reduced to shooting from a distance and hoping.
France were down at the break and continued their record of never winning a World Cup match when trailing at half-time. Deschamps tried to alter things by introducing Manu Koné for the booked Adrien Rabiot, but it didn’t make much difference.
Spain stayed grounded and kept up the pressure. France were playing a team designed to beat them and that’s what happened
