Blues exit Euro 2024 through the back door

France once again put in a lackluster performance in Tuesday night’s Euro 2024 semi-final against Spain, losing 2-1, with neither Didier Deschamps nor his players seeming able to really shake up their opponents.

However, France opened the scoring in the ninth minute through Randall Kolo Mouani, who headed in Kylian Mbappe’s cross for the Blues’ first goal of the tournament. But La Roja soon rose again through a feat by prodigy Yamal (25th), who found Maignan in the top corner with a curling shot from the left from 25 metres. Four days shy of his 17th birthday, the Barcelona winger became the youngest goalscorer in European history, an early birthday present. Four minutes later, Olmo’s shot was blocked by Kounde and hit Maignan’s goal.

On the hour mark, Deschamps tried everything, bringing in Camavinga, Griezmann and Bacora, and Giroud a quarter of an hour later, but to no avail. In the final moments of the game, Hernandez and Mbappe’s two shots from the edge of the penalty area flew into the Munich sky. Just as the French hoped.