It is like they scripted this game in gold ink. Coming into Dallas Stadium as favorites to qualify for the final match, France, who are blessed with the brilliance of Kylian Mbappé among other stars, had everything going their way in this game. However, Spain turned it into a complete display of tactics and sheer clinical finishing skills.
Spain were not content with winning 2-0. They thrashed France in a match where Deschamps’ troops ran out of ideas against a Spanish team that is currently walking around with the swagger of future world champions.
Here’s how Spain pulled off an amazing heist in the World Cup semifinals.
The Birthday Prodigy and the Match-Opening Mistake
There could have been any uncertainty about Spain’s approach to deal with the enormous pressure of the semifinals of the World Cup. However, it quickly disappeared in the opening twenty minutes. Once again, the catalyst for Spain in such a situation was provided by the wingers.
A 19-year-old Lamine Yamal had an outstanding performance in the opening stages of the game despite the fact that he played only a day after his birthday. With tremendous acceleration on the right wing, Yamal outpaced French defender Lucas Digne to the ball in the box, forcing him to commit a foul and give away a penalty kick.
Mikel Oyarzabal stepped up to the challenge. Facing Mike Maignan, who was notorious for saving penalties, Oyarzabal showed his composure. In the 22nd minute, he scored the first goal of the match via a penalty shot.
Historic Goal: The initial goal was more than a mere important break-through; it was history being made. Mikel Oyarzabal has already managed an impressive feat of scoring 18 goals in 20 matches in his time with Spain. With this goal, he became the sixth Spanish player ever to score 30 goals for his nation. This makes him part of an illustrious list of legends that include:
- David Villa (59)
- Raúl (44)
- Fernando Torres (38)
- Álvaro Morata (37)
- David Silva (35)
- Mikel Oyarzabal (30)kel Oyarzabal (30)
