France Beat Spain 2-1 To Win The European Nations League
The Nations League final ended in a 2-1 victory to the French who are trying to bounce back after their disappointing Euro 2020 campaign. One of the most talked-about tournaments of the year took place in the spectacular San Siro, one of Europe’s most iconic venues. Spain were favorite heading into the game after defeating Italy in the semi-final, but they were no match for the class of France’s world-class attacking players with Benzema and Mbappé getting on the scoresheet. France take the title from previous winners Portugal who beat The Netherlands 1-0 in 2019.
AC Milan’s San Siro hosted the final between France and Spain and on a glorious Sunday evening, the French came from 1-0 down and scored twice in 15 minutes to win the match. Spain were favorites going in having just beaten Italy, ending their 37-game unbeaten run on their own turf. ©tlemens/Pixabay
After the summers European Championship galore, many football fans were unaware that another continental tournament was on the horizon. You would be forgiven for forgetting the Nations League existed, UEFA initially proposed the competition to replace friendly’s and make the rest of the international season more competitive. This is only the second Nations League in history, with Portugal winning the first in 2019. While on a much smaller scale than Euro 2020, the road to qualifying for the finals has been ongoing throughout the year.
Only four teams make it to the finals and this year, France, Spain, Italy, and Belgium made up the remaining sides. France vs Belgium proved to be the most exciting game of the tournament, from 2-0 down the French clawed back three goals with Theo Hernandez scoring a spectacular goal in the 90th minute to win the match. After the tournament reports of Theo Hernandez testing positive for COVID-19 were confirmed and he will now miss the next two weeks of training for AC Milan.
Would it be football without controversy, well the Nations League final was no exception to that rule as Mbappé was judged to be onside for France’s second goal, bringing the scoreline to 2-1. The decision was extremely close as the French striker was just about level with the Spanish back four, social media erupted with analysis after the goal, with many Spanish fans upset with the decision to allow the goal. Whether it was offside or not it was a fantastic goal from the young star, performing a step over before slotting underneath Simón.
France’s first goal was undoubtedly amazing, Karim Benzema one of the world’s most decorated strikers, took on several defenders before curling a beautiful effort to the far post from 20 yards. Making it look so easy in a high-pressure match just proves the caliber of player France and Real Madrid have at their disposal. Lloris also had a fantastic game denying two late opportunities, keeping France in the game when they were under siege from the Spanish forwards.
The French Make History
France are the second-ever side to win the Nations League and despite their disappointing European Championship campaign, Didier Deschamps side were determined to make amends for their shocking penalty shootout loss to Switzerland. Kylian Mbappé who scored the winning goal missed a crucial penalty during the shootout costing France their place in the quarter-finals. After that harrowing evening, Mbappé has bounced back to win France yet another International trophy.
While Spain will be disappointed with their defeat to the French, they can be proud of their stellar international season. They also have some of the best young players in the world including Manchester City’s Ferran Torres and Barcelona’s Pedri who just signed a 6-year contract with a $1 billion release clause. Spain had 64% of the possession but failed to capitalize on their dominance, allowing France to swiftly counter-attack for both of their goals. After this Nations League, football fans around the world are asking, when is the next one?. The next Nations League will take place in 2023, running on a two-year basis.
