The Blues booked their place in the semi-finals with a penalty shootout win on Friday night. And it was a flawless performance – after a very balanced game, once again marked by a lack of quality up front and behind the brilliant Mike Maignan. Make way for Spain! The story of a crazy evening.
In the port of Hamburg, the French sang very late last night. Theirs was a star-studded evening. It stretched into the early hours after hearing the end of a thrilling match between France and Portugal. But it was the Blues who ended up having the last word and opening the door to a semi-final when Joao Felix's shot hit the post. With Bradley Barcola, with Jules Kounde and Theo Hernandez, the last goalscorer for ever, they turned a breathless session around to invite themselves to the semi-finals and a semi-final against Spain, next Tuesday in Munich.
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The Tricolores have won just one match at the Euros, the opening match against Austria (1-0). But their story continues. Yesterday's match confirmed what we already knew: the match between these two countries is a duel between technicians and, above all, an inconclusive head-to-head, as stifling as a game of chess. But kings usually end up deciding. In the past, it was Platini, Chalana, Zidane, Figo. On Friday, eight years after the 2016 final, Europe was licking its lips because of the meeting between Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappé.
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You will have been born out of nothingness. The former had performed well at 39 and his twilight seemed inevitable when his shot from an ideal position flew wide (93). Kylian Mbappé (25) is far from the legal age of his idol. But before going out in extra time, the captain of the French national team played this quarter-final like a shadow, under a mask that reflected only his pale face.
Minyan, Guardian Angel
In the end, the mano-mano would mainly be between Jules Kounde and Rafael Leao. The former did not crack, although Dayot Upamecano had to save the country by stopping an attempt from Milan (102).
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Unlike Holland, Poland and Belgium, the Portuguese were not always so cautious. They tested the resistance of the French institutions. True to their DNA, they mastered the ball, even if it meant passing it in stereotypical ways at times. But it took all the solidity of the tricolour (only one goal, a penalty, against Poland in the group stage) to hold out. With the great leader William Saliba and Mike Maignan whose status as guardian angel is being reinforced game after game. That was yesterday, with a win against Bruno Fernandes (61) and above all a reflex stop against Vitinha (63).
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Always this deficit
The Blues also had a response. Positioned with a diamond-shaped midfielder who was more skilful than Antoine Griezmann but a little-seen leader, they sought to attack. Their impotence continued despite everything.
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RKM got the starting line-up after their decisive entry into the last 16. But Ruben Dias received another release at his feet (66). And it didn't come from Eduardo Camavinga either. More than just a replacement for the suspended Adrien Rabiot, the midfielder saw his shot slide over the bar (min 70) and extended a period of ineffectiveness that was not resolved. The Blues can still remedy this. Since their night continues.
