Spain 1-2 France
World champions France claimed the UEFA Nations League title as they came from behind to defeat Spain 2-1 in the final at the San Siro.
The French, who overcame Belgium 3-2 in their thrilling semi-final, were the favourites according to the UEFA Nations League 2021 betting odds, but they went behind after Mikel Oyarzabal struck first for Spain.
Much like in the semi-final against Belgium, though, the star duo of Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe orchestrated Les Bleus’ comeback victory as they provided the clinical finishing the Spanish simply lacked.
Highlights of the game
Both sides were relatively unchanged from their semi-final starting lineups. Spain swapped Koke for Rodri in midfield, while Aurelien Tchouameni and Presnel Kimpembe came in for Covid-positive Adrien Rabiot and Lucas Hernandez for France.
The French had a great opportunity to open the scoring after just six minutes when Pogba found Benzema with an excellent through ball. But the Real Madrid man – who looked fractionally offside – was unable to round Spain keeper Unai Simon, and his cutback to Mbappe was cut out.
Spain, who were so excellent in their semi-final against Italy, hardly threatened in the first half. A tame Mikel Oyarzabal shot and an off-target Marcos Alonso free kick were their only notable chances. To be fair, France also struggled to find any openings in a rather uneventful opening first 45 minutes.
But the game finally came to life in the second half. Spain started things off as Sarabia sent the ball across the face of goal and just eluded Ferran Torres. The French went the other way for a chance of their own, but Alonso made a brilliant tackle to deny the ball from reaching Mbappe.
France then came so close to the opening goal just after the hour mark as Theo Hernandez – who scored the dramatic last-minute winner against Belgium –hit the underside of the bar with his left-footed strike.
And mere seconds after France missed their big chance, Spain scored from theirs. France substitute Dayot Upamecano should have done a better job dealing with Oyarzabal, and he was duly punished as the Real Sociedad star smashed the ball into the bottom corner.
However, Les Bleus would not be down for long. They struck back in a matter of minutes as Benzema unleashed a magnificent shot straight into the top corner. Unai Simon got his fingertips on the ball, but he was unable to keep it out.
France nearly completed the comeback just moments after the restart. Mbappe got in behind the Spain defence and tried to chip Unai Simon, who had raced off his line, but the PSG star put a bit too much on his shot, which sailed over the bar. Although, the goal likely would not have counted as it looked like Mbapped had strayed offside.
But Mbappe would get another chance 10 minutes from time, and he finally took it. Again he got in behind the Spanish defence thanks to a Benzema through ball, and he was played onside by a slight touch by Spanish defender Eric Garcia. He then did well to hold his composure and slot the ball past the onrushing Unai Simon.
Spain had a great chance to score a dramatic equaliser two minutes from time. Alonso’s chipped pass found Oyarzabal, who produced a sweetly struck volley. But France captain Hugo Lloris came up with a huge save to deny the Spanish striker.
Spain had one last shot deep into stoppage time which fell to young Yeremi Pino, but Lloris was again on hand to parry the powerful shot away as France held on to claim the Nations League crown.
Key statistics
As per usual, Spain dominated possession, controlling nearly 64 per cent of the ball as France were content with defending deep and playing on the counter. But despite Spain spending significantly more time on the ball, the shot numbers were even at 12, and France had only slightly more shots on target (5-4).
Mbappe was the star of the show. He produced more UEFA Nations League 2021 highlights with six shots, half of which were on target. And in the Nations League Finals, the PSG star showed his class with two goals and two assists. Not to be outdone, Benzema was also brilliant with two goals in two games.
What’s next?
That’s a wrap for the second edition of the Nations League. This year’s Nations League Finals certainly had more fireworks than the first edition, with 14 goals over the four games.
With this title, France helped boost their confidence after an underwhelming Euros and a couple of lacklustre World Cup qualifying results. Mbappe, in particular, made everyone remember just what an incredible talent he is.
Spain also showed how talent-rich they are, with the likes of Gavi and Yeremy Pino joining Pedri and Ansu Fati in this exciting new generation of Spanish stars.
Meanwhile, European champions Italy will be a bit disappointed to see their record winning streak snapped on home soil. They will have to settle for third after beating Belgium 2-1 in the third-place play-off.
As for the Belgians, they will likely be the most disappointed of the four teams after letting a two-goal lead slip against France. It’s yet another missed opportunity for their Golden Generation, whose time is running out to win a title.
The four teams are looking good to qualify for the World Cup next year in Qatar, which will be their next chance to score some silverware.
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