Clash of Giants with Unresolved Issues Between Spain and France

Atrás quedó la época de los amistosos insulsos en el fútbol de selecciones. A falta de un Mundial o una Eurocopa, la Liga de Naciones llegó para ofrecer otro aliciente a las ventanas FIFA y, eso sí, a costa de sobrecargar peligrosamente el calendario, ha conseguido su propósito. Lo confirma una auténtica lucha de gigantes con cuentas pendientes entre España y Francia, protagonistas de la segunda semifinal del torneo.

The clash between the two best European teams of the moment offers endless attractions beyond accumulated fatigue, especially for the French team due to the numerous PSG players in their squad, who were crowned European champions last Saturday.

Beyond the traditional football rivalry between the neighbours, the impressive roster of young stars on both teams and the unresolved issues from the last European Championship, where Spain and France also competed for a place in the final with a Spanish victory, fuel the duel between the last two Nations League champions.

The previous encounter against France, resolved in Munich with goals from Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo after an initial goal by the Frenchman Kolo Muani, brings excellent memories to Luis de la Fuente's team. Stuttgart, the venue for this Nations League semifinal, is also significant as it is the city where Spain defeated host Germany in the Euro quarter-finals, with Merino's decisive goal in extra time.

Meanwhile, the French team, approaching the final phase of Didier Deschamps' long tenure, takes the last encounter as motivation to repeat a victory like the one that gave them the Nations League in 2021, with a controversial goal by Mbappé. The Golden Boot will be the offensive reference for a team with up to seven players who played in the Champions League final and therefore arrive very tight to be starters, including Dembélé, who has embarked on an unexpected race for the Ballon d'Or against Lamine Yamal, a guaranteed starter for Spain.

It remains to be seen if the anticipated face-off between the two main contenders for the most prestigious individual award is possible, even if only for a portion of the match. Pedri, who has also earned recognition among the best, is another fixture for De la Fuente, who has traditionally positioned the Barcelona player a few meters ahead of his usual place at Barça. The Canary Islander plays alongside a more positional midfielder like De Jong in his team, whose equivalent in the national team, pending Rodri, is Zubimendi. There, he has definitively established himself as one of the best midfielders in the world.

Against the evident technical superiority of the Spanish midfield, Deschamps' French team, always more recognizable for its physical prowess than its virtuosity, will oppose the verticality of attackers like Mbappé and Olise, who has emerged this season at Bayern. The offensive line is undoubtedly the strong point of a France severely affected in the rearguard by the absences of Koundé, Saliba, and Upamecano, three regulars in the two-time world champion's defence.

Meanwhile, De la Fuente is already working with the future central defensive pair composed of the very young Cubarsí and Huijsen. However, the limited experience of the Barcelona and new Real Madrid players suggests complementing youth with the hierarchy of Le Normand, a much more seasoned centre-back.

Spain: Unai Simón, Porro, Le Normand, Cubarsí, Cucurella, Pedri, Zubimendi, Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Nico Williams, and Morata.

France: Maignan, Gusto, Konaté, Lucas Hernandez, Digne, Tchouaméni, Koné, Rabiot, Olise, Kolo Muani, and Mbappé.

Referee: Michael Oliver (England).

Stadium: Stuttgart Arena.

Time and TV: 21:00 h. La 1.